Currently, the fence and cutting wire are installed in sections of about 550 kilometers, and the total length of the Lithuanian border with Belarus is 679 kilometers.
For more than 100 kilometers, the border runs through rivers, lakes, swamps, here the state border is monitored by video cameras and other technical means, but there is no fence.
“VSAT has created a working group that analyzes the possibilities of building a physical barrier there, calculates costs and options,” VSAT press representative Giedrius Mišutis told BNS.
He emphasized that the decision has not been taken yet, only technical possibilities are being analyzed and costs are being calculated.
“Decisions have not really been made, but it is being analyzed that in Čepkelei, in the Baltasamane swamp in Švenčioni district, near the rivers, where it was not possible to build a barrier, that it will still appear there. This is still a completely working issue”, asserted G. Mišutis.
According to him, the physical barrier at the border has a great effect in stopping the illegal migration promoted by the Minsk regime.
“An additional physical barrier would be effective, both now and in the future,” said a VSAT representative.
“Seeing the situation where we have zero (attempts to illegally cross the border – BNS), and seeing what is happening at the border of Latvia, which is four times shorter, this is one of the consequences that the Belarusians are not pushing in this direction now. As a result, the value of the barrier is also very high,” he said.
According to VSAT, Latvians register several dozen, sometimes more, attempts to illegally cross their border from the Belarusian side every day.
At the end of August, VSAT reported an incident on the border with Belarus, exactly in that section where there is no physical barrier.
On August 23, it was reported that two non-uniformed persons illegally crossed the border in Varėna district at Čepkelės raist, where a physical barrier and concertina are not installed due to natural conditions, cut two poles with video cameras and left.
“Those two persons were aiming at those two cameras, they had battery-powered cutting tools and they cut two poles with surveillance cameras covering the entire perimeter,” said G. Mišutis at the time.
According to VSAT, this was the third such case this year. Last year, 467 attempts to breach both surveillance systems and physically damage the barrier were recorded, this year – more than half a dozen.
It was decided to build a physical barrier on the border with Belarus after the influx of illegal migrants from this country in 2021. Lithuania accuses the Minsk regime of organizing it and calls it a hybrid attack.
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#VSAT #possibility #installing #physical #barrier #border #swampy #areas
Lithuania border guard
**Interview with Giedrius Mišutis, Press Representative of the State Border Guard Service of Lithuania (VSAT)**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Giedrius. Lithuania has been enhancing its border security with Belarus, particularly with the construction of fences and other barriers. Can you tell us more about the current state of these installations?
**Giedrius Mišutis:** Thank you for having me. Currently, we have installed sections of fencing totaling about 550 kilometers along our nearly 679-kilometer border with Belarus. However, there are areas, particularly over rivers and swamps, where we cannot erect physical barriers, so we rely on advanced monitoring technologies like video cameras instead.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned that there is ongoing analysis regarding the construction of barriers in difficult terrains. What are the main considerations in building these additional physical barriers?
**Giedrius Mišutis:** Yes, our working group at VSAT is assessing the feasibility, costs, and options for potential barriers in those challenging locations, such as the Čepkelei area and the Baltasamane swamp. I want to emphasize that no final decisions have been made yet; we’re still in the analysis phase.
**Interviewer:** Given the current success in stopping illegal crossings, how significant do you believe these barriers are in curbing illegal migration?
**Giedrius Mišutis:** The physical barrier we have already erected has proven effective in significantly reducing illegal migration attempts promoted by the Minsk regime. Since we started implementing these measures, we’ve recorded zero attempts to illegally cross our border. In contrast, Latvia, which has a much shorter border, is seeing multiple attempts daily. This discrepancy illustrates the significant value of our barriers.
**Interviewer:** It sounds like the barriers have had a measurable impact. How do you see this evolving in the future?
**Giedrius Mišutis:** We believe that maintaining and potentially enhancing our physical barriers will continue to be effective in the present and future context of regional security. As the situation at the Belarusian border evolves, we must adapt and ensure our borders are well protected.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for sharing these insights, Giedrius. It’s clear that border security remains a pressing issue in the region, and your work is crucial in addressing it.
**Giedrius Mišutis:** Thank you for having me. It’s important to keep the public informed about our efforts and the ongoing challenges we face.
