In order to ensure greater preparedness of the state for potential threats on the border, the conservative opposition party Fatherland Union - Christian Democrats of Lithuania proposes to create a defense line named after Vytautas the Great on the border with the Russian Federation and Belarus.
Points of attention
- The conservative opposition party of Lithuania plans to create a Vytautas the Great Defense Line on the border with Russia and Belarus to enhance the country's defense capabilities.
- The defense line is proposed to consist of four levels with advanced military technologies such as anti-personnel mines, armored groups, and air defense systems.
- The estimated cost of implementing the Vytautas the Great Defense Line project is around one billion euros, with a construction timeline of up to two years.
Lithuania to build four-level defense line against Russia and Belarus
Conservatives say it could include defensive lines equipped with anti-personnel mines, anti-tank ditches, mobile armored groups and long-range artillery. The plan would cost around a billion euros to implement.
Our military engineering has been revived, our military engineering has received a new breath. Today we propose a different idea, a different direction, how we could strengthen the border in such a way that it would be extremely difficult for the enemy to penetrate our territory, — said the party leader Laurinas Kasciunas.
According to calculations, these defense lines cost about 1 billion euros.
According to Kasciunas, the process of building a defense line will take up to two years.
It's really a matter of a year or two. Essentially, it will depend on legal issues.
According to retired Lithuanian Army Lieutenant Vladas Sakalauskas, who presented the idea, the Vytautas the Great defense line will consist of four parts.
The first line will be a zone controlled by border guards, with "dragon teeth", anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, barbed wire and anti-tank ditches.
At that time, according to Sakalauskas, the second one could be reached via a tunnel dug underground. In addition to barbed wire, this line would also contain explosive devices and military positions.
The third line of defense will consist of mobile armored groups, which will include Lithuanian Vilkas infantry fighting vehicles and tracked armored vehicles of the allies. Armored electronic warfare vehicles would also perform their functions. For example, the enemy concentrates in a certain place, artillery fire is conducted there and a breakthrough is being prepared. These mobile groups, being at a distance of 30-40 kilometers, can quickly and effectively approach the place where a breakthrough across the border is likely.
The fourth line will include NASAMS air defense systems and long-range self-propelled artillery.
Any line of defense can be broken through, but during this time the army mobilizes, aviation and fighter jets are raised, and within half an hour they can "extinguish" these forces from above, — emphasized Sakalauskas.
For his part, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, commenting on the conservatives' proposals for the development of the Vytautas the Great defense line, assured on May 5 that all necessary decisions for the construction of the fortifications have already been made, and procurement is underway.
Last year, the Ministry of Defense announced its intention to create a total of 27 anti-mobility parks across the country, which will house the main engineering obstacles — "dragon's teeth", prefabricated "hedgehogs", "Spanish horses" and roadblocks. At the time, Kasciunas said that 600 million euros would be needed to purchase anti-mobility measures over a decade.
