Lithuania confiscates military goods from Kaliningrad-Moscow trains, gives them to Ukraine
Lithuanian customs officers discovered military uniforms and camouflage nets on passenger trains traveling from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to Moscow, the Delfi outlet reported on Oct. 5.
Kaliningrad Oblast is a small but heavily armed territory lodged between the Baltic Sea and NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
Lithuanian authorities are regulating the railway connection segment that runs through their territory and connects the exclave to Belarus and Russia.
During inspections, Lithuanian authorities intercepted four shipments of various military items loaded onto passenger trains between Sept. 27 and Oct. 2, Delfi wrote.
The shipments included five pairs of military camouflage trousers and several camouflage nets for masking weapons, which were found at the Kybartai train station near the exclave's border.
Vilnius believes that the shipments were intended for use by the Russian Armed Forces deployed in Ukraine. The items will be sent to Ukraine as military aid.
Vilnius has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war, leading to the sharp deterioration of relations with Moscow.
Another incident on the Kaliningrad-Moscow railway occurred last week. One carriage of a train that arrived at the Kena checkpoint at the Lithuanian-Belarusian borders displayed the letter Z, a symbol commonly used by Russian invasion forces in Ukraine.
Another carriage displayed an inscription calling Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, a "Russian city."
The Soviet Union annexed Lithuania along with other Baltic countries in World War II, with the nation declaring independence only in 1990.
Maria Yeryoma
Related posts:
Why the Baltic States fear Russia's Kaliningrad exclave
Vilnius seizes Russian military camo materials cargo, reroutes to Ukraine
Ukraine war latest: Kyiv braces for Russian push near Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Poland starts fortifying border with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave as part of 'East Shield' initiative
As the Baltics raise the alarm about Russia, Washington still not listening
Losing independence is worse than spending a few extra percentage points on defense, Estonian defense minister says
Russian Baltic Sea Fleet vessel out of action after Ukraine's sabotage, intelligence says
Lithuania to send its domestically produced combat drones to Ukraine by end of year
About The Author
