Poland, Lithuania prepare joint plans for civilian evacuations from Baltics

Poland and Lithuania are preparing procedures for the possible mass evacuation of civilians across their common border in the event of an attack on the Baltic states, Polish public broadcaster TVP reported Friday.

Warsaw and Vilnius are working on a bilateral agreement to provide a framework for the plans, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center chief Vilmantas Vitkauskas said.

“Procedures, logistics, and infrastructure capabilities are being analyzed together with colleagues from Poland, and the plan itself should be developed once an agreement is reached between the two countries,” Vitkauskas said.

The plans are being developed as Lithuania conducts nationwide drills testing responses to potential threats, including hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, disinformation and sabotage.

About 20 Polish officials are taking part in exercises testing border procedures and infrastructure through the Suwalki Gap, the land corridor connecting Poland and Lithuania between Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus.

About 3,000 officials and representatives of companies and NGOs, along with 1,000 volunteers, are taking part in the drills, which run until Oct. 2.

Six days of evacuation exercises will begin Saturday in several Lithuanian municipalities, including Vilnius and areas near the Belarusian border.