Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said that Lithuanian border guards will be provided with heavy weapons.
As European Truth writes, LRT reports this.
The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted that the decision to provide border guards with heavy weapons was made in response to the lessons of Russia's war against Ukraine.
“The Ministry of Defense will also contribute to providing border guards with heavy weapons. I would not like to go into details (about weapons), so that all this is still under discussion,” – Bilotaite added.
According to her, the State Border Guard Service has recently been equipped with modern weapons that meet NATO standards.
On Monday, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonite, inspected the capabilities of the aviation department of the State Border Guard Service of Lithuania in Paluknisi.
“We look at the situation equally and work together to strengthen all services,” – she said.
At the same time, the commander of the border guards, Rustamas Lyubaevas, said that the heavy weapons that are planned to be transferred will include both mobile and stationary equipment, and they will be purchased by the end of the year.
“At least at the first stage, the weapons planned for purchase will not require special training… It will be used against soldiers and against certain equipment,” – he explained.
Previously, the President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda stated that the tense geopolitical situation in the region requires the deployment of the German brigade in the country as soon as possible.
At the beginning of April, the initial composition of the German brigade arrived in Lithuania, which will be stationed in a Baltic country. More than 20 soldiers have settled in Vilnius, they are responsible for planning the redeployment of the brigade to Lithuania and coordinating requirements for military infrastructure.
According to media estimates, placing a German brigade in Lithuania could cost about 11 billion euros.
< p>Increased attention to the “Lithuanian” brigade is connected with the fact that it is the first unit in the history of the Bundeswehr that will be permanently stationed abroad.