Lithuania has prepared plans to evacuate its population in the event of a Russian attack, but the country will not surrender if Moscow launches military action, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said in an interview with the BBC.
Sinkevičius said Lithuania is strengthening its defense while preparing for multiple emergency scenarios as security concerns grow along NATO’s eastern border. He stressed that evacuation planning is a precautionary measure rather than an indication that an attack is imminent.
“We are thinking about different scenarios, although not all of them are discussed publicly,” Sinkevičius told the BBC. He added that Lithuania is “organized and prepared” to respond to any threat and would resist Russian aggression if necessary.
The prime minister said many Lithuanians live with a constant sense of insecurity because of Russia’s military activities near the country’s borders, including repeated incidents involving drones entering Lithuanian airspace.
His comments came about a week after NATO fighter jets intercepted and shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace, an incident that heightened concerns about cross-border security and prompted additional military vigilance in the Baltic state.
Lithuania, a NATO and European Union member, shares a border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave as well as Belarus, Moscow’s closest regional ally. The country has significantly increased defense spending and expanded civil defense preparations since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Baltic governments have repeatedly warned that Russia’s military posture in the region remains a long-term security challenge. NATO has responded by reinforcing its eastern flank with additional troops, air defense systems and regular military exercises across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Sinkevičius said Lithuania’s priority is to deter aggression through strong national defenses and close coordination with NATO allies while ensuring authorities are prepared to protect civilians if regional tensions escalate further.
