Following the recent Russian attack on Ukraine, Lithuania’s capital city Vilnius has revealed an evacuation plan for its 540,000 citizens in case Vladimir Putin strikes them. As reported by BBC, “Vilnius is located close to the 679-km (422 mile) border which Lithuania shares with Belarus, a staunch Russian ally.”
Valdas Benkunskas, Vilnius’ Mayor said regarding the evacuation plan, “We do not want to cause panic. Our goal is clear: to have a plan, to have coordination between institutions, to know who is responsible for what, and to trust our defense forces… hoping that this plan will never need to be activated.”
The evacuation instructions will reach the residents via phone or texts and there is also a dedicated application for the same. Some bridges and roads are to be expanded for a smoother evacuation process for the citizens.
BBC further reported, “Vilnius is located close to the 679-km (422 mile) border which Lithuania shares with Belarus, a staunch Russian ally. Belarus hosts thousands of Russian troops and was used as a springboard for the failed February 2022 attempt to capture the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Lithuania is also a member of the Nato military alliance and shares a border with Kaliningrad, which is a heavily militarized Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea. Lithuania used to be a part of the Soviet Union and in 1990 announced freedom and “it sought closer ties with Western Europe, including joining the European Union” as BBC reported.
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The country has been vocally supporting Ukraine and similar to its Baltic neighbors, has warned about how the Kremlin’s ambitions could pose threat to these regions. As reported by Irish Star, “Mayor Benkunskas stated that these plans were a last-ditch effort should the country’s military defense fail, and urged the public not to “panic” about the proposals. He also noted it would take up to three days to get people out of Vilnius in the event of an invasion.”
A Vilnius City Council and defense expert, Aurimas Navys mentioned in an interview with the LTR that this was high time to prepare for the worst times. He said, “”People need to make this decision now, not when it’s time to leave their homes. You have to ask yourself: will I need assistance, will I go on my own, or even on foot, if that’s your thing?”
Major Darius Antanaitis, a retired military officer, further added, “What’s important is that an assessment has been done – now the municipality knows what’s needed for evacuation. That, I think, is critical.”
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However, Energy Terminal reported, “Current Mayor Valdas Benkunskas defended the initiative but admitted shortcomings. He identified five critical road segments in need of upgrades to avoid paralysis and warned that some improvements ‘could take years.’” He further added, “He also blamed the national government for ‘inadequate support.’ According to Benkunskas, a full evacuation of Vilnius would take ‘two to three days.’”
With such tight security and evacuation plans in place, it now remains to be seen if Putin indeed attacks Lithuania and what consequences it brings forth.
