Lithuanian border guards to be equipped with heavy weapons – minister

PALUKNYS – Lithuanian border guards will be equipped with heavy weapons, Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said on Monday without elaborating.

"The Defense Ministry will contribute to equipping border guards with heavy weapons," he told reporters at the Paluknys airfield on Monday. "I wouldn't like to elaborate as everything is still being sorted out."

The minister on Monday accompanied Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte as they inspected the capabilities of the State Border Guard Service's Aviation Board.

"We share the same vision of the situation and we are working together to reinforce all services," she said, adding that the decision to equip border guards with heavy weapons comes in response to the war in Ukraine.

Lithuanian border guards has recently been equipped with modern weapons in line with NATO standards, the interior minister pointed out.

For his part, Liubajevas said that the planned heavy weapons would include both mobile and non-mobile equipment.

"The weapons we plan to acquire during the first phase will not require special training. (...) It will be meant for using against soldiers and certain equipment," the SBGS chief said, adding that the plan is to purchase the equipment by the end of the year, with the Defense Ministry's assistance.