(Adnkronos) – Vilnius has presented an evacuation plan in case of war, concerned that Lithuania could become Russia’s next target after the invasion of Ukraine. Mayor Valdas Benkunskas illustrated the three main escape routes to the west, explaining that “historically the enemy has always come from the east”. The goal, he specified, “is not to create panic”, but to guarantee “coordination between institutions” and trust in the defense forces, hoping that the plan will never have to be activated.
Vilnius, which has over 600,000 inhabitants, is located just 30 kilometers from the border with Belarus, used by Moscow as a base for the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The plan provides for the total evacuation of the city within 48 hours in the event of conflict, while exercises are planned for the autumn. The authorities fear that Russia could replicate the scenario already seen in Ukraine in the Baltic, especially in view of the Zapad military exercises that Moscow and Minsk will hold in September.
The plan also responds to potential natural threats or accidents at the Belarusian Ostrovets nuclear power plant, located about 50 kilometers from the Lithuanian capital. Vilnius has already distributed iodine tablets and organized decontamination exercises. The Lithuanian authorities consider the plant unsafe, an accusation rejected by Minsk and Moscow.
