Lithuanian border guards will be armed with serious weapons

Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said that Lithuanian border guards will be provided with heavy weapons, LRT reports.

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 help ensure border guards with heavy weapons. I wouldn’t like to go into details (about weapons), because all this is still under discussion,” – added Bilotaite.

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 Simonytė, inspected the facilities of the aviation department Lithuanian State Border Guard Services in Paluknis.

"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 before the end of the year.

"At least at the first stage, the weapons planned for purchase will not require special training… They will be used against soldiers and against certain equipment", – he explained.

Prepared by: Nina Petrovich