Lithuania Plans 30-Mile Three-Layer Defence Line Against Russia

Lithuania is constructing an extensive three-layer defensive line along its borders with Russia and Belarus, extending up to 50 kilometers inland to protect against potential Russian aggression. The first echelon will include anti-tank ditches, dragon's teeth barriers, minefields, and fortified trenches, while the subsequent layers will feature bridges prepared for demolition, blocked bridgeheads, engineering equipment parks, and plans to fell roadside trees to hinder enemy armor. This project is part of a broader Baltic defense initiative involving Estonia, Latvia, and Poland, aiming to integrate border defenses and secure NATO and EU frontiers. Lithuania has increased its defense spending significantly, planning to allocate EUR 1.1 billion over a decade for counter-mobility systems, and has controversially withdrawn from the Ottawa Convention to permit the use of anti-personnel mines, citing the need to counter Russian tactics in Ukraine. The defense line is not intended to fully prevent an invasion but to slow and canalize enemy forces into more manageable battlegrounds, reinforcing Lithuania's strategic depth and host nation support infrastructure for NATO troops. These measures reflect heightened regional security concerns amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine and proximity to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus.