Lithuania fortifies bridges near border with Belarus as part of defense plans

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Construction work on bridges near Lithuania’s border with Belarus is part of planned military fortification measures, the Lithuanian Armed Forces have confirmed.

The military told public broadcaster LRT on Tuesday that the work is linked to preparations for the Baltic defense line along Lithuania’s borders with both Russia and Belarus, Moscow’s closest ally in the Ukraine war.

Under the plan, bridges are being fitted with “engineering structures for attaching explosive materials.”

“Bridges and roads are selected based on the location of natural obstacles and their strategic importance in Lithuania’s defense system,” the armed forces said.

According to the military, dozens of sites near the border have already been established to store anti-tank and other defensive obstacles. Work is also under way to plant trees along key roads for protection and to deepen irrigation ditches, which would serve as trenches and additional anti-tank barriers.

In the event of an armed conflict, bridges close to the border could be demolished more easily, helping to block the movement of military forces.

Similar preparations have long been part of the defense strategy of Finland, which has the longest border of any NATO country with Russia. Last year, Finland urged European countries to focus on preparedness rather than rhetoric.

Early in World War II, the Soviet Union invaded Finland and defeated it within months.