The defence ministry would add 23 counter-mobility sites and a 150 m border strip, a plan that may need private land access.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense proposed expanding the network of anti-mobility engineering barriers by another 23 sections by the end of 2030, and also creating an anti-mobility corridor along the border with Belarus and Russia.
According to the government project, these measures are to be included in amendments to the government resolution from July 2024 regarding the implementation of anti-mobility measures.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense previously announced plans to increase the number of anti-mobility sections from 27 to 50. According to Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Godliauskas, it was initially expected that the project would be completed by 2027, but the timeline was revised in line with military assessments. Additional time is needed as the scope of the project expands.
It is also proposed to install backup barriers on national roads, approaches to bridges, and on the bridges themselves to provide structures for securing explosive devices.
Main directions and timeframes
The plan also provides for creating by the end of 2029 an anti-mobility corridor along the border with Belarus and the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation. The zone will extend 150 m along the border line and 20 m from the border patrol route.
The ministry emphasizes that implementing the project may require the involvement of private lands, which will necessitate changes to the legislation.
Our priority right now is on-site works on the first line: blocking border posts, closing roads from Belarus, removing easements, digging anti-tank ditches and installing wire barriers
– Godliauskas
According to the Ministry of Defense estimates, the cost of implementing the measures will be about 50 million euros; funding for the plan will be provided from the State Defense Fund.
The plan is aimed at strengthening Lithuania’s border infrastructure as a key element of national security in cooperation with neighboring countries.