Man threatens to blow himself up outside Vilnius Presidential Palace

On Wednesday evening, at around 5 p.m., a man threatened to blow himself up outside the Presidential Palace in Vilnius.

People were evacuated from the Presidential Palace, the area was cordoned off and special services rushed to the scene.

Police representatives told news agency ELTA that they received a report that a person was walking through Simonas Daukantas Square with wires hanging out of his clothes who was threatening to blow himself up. The antiterrorist operations unit Aras was called to the scene and began negotiations with the man.

During this period, the police prohibited people from approaching the Presidential Palace.

Chief Presidential Advisor Daiva Ulbinaite said that the man was threatening to use gas and explosives. At the time the president was not in the building and was not in any danger. After a two-hour stand-off, the suspect was apprehended outside the Presidential Palace.

The head of Vilnius County Police Headquarters, Kestutis Lancinskas, said that Aras officers arrested the man using tasers and physical force. Bottles containing fluid were found in his hand luggage; they will be sent for testing. The suspect was not in need of medical help after the arrest. Officers were unable to say if the man was sober, but said he spoke incoherently and did not make any demands. No weapons were found on the suspect, and no records were found of previous trouble with the police.

Viktoras Grabauskas, Aras commander, later said that the man did not pose a significant threat to the public, and that the operation was highly successful as no one was hurt.