Lithuanian capital Vilnius reveals an invasion plan plan

Officials in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, have revealed an evacuation plan that will be used in the event of an invasion of the city.

He determines how 540,000 residents of the city will be ordered to leave if it is close to overcoming the enemy forces.

The publication of the plan comes against the backdrop of the increased fears of Russia’s military ambitions in the region, in the light of the ongoing full -scale invasion of Ukraine.

Lithuania, along with fellow Baltic States, Estonia and Latvia, has long warned of the threat of Russian aggression and has been investing in defense in recent years.

Vilnius is located near the 679-kilometer (422 miles) limit that Lithuania shares with Belarus, an unwavering Russian ally.

Belarus hosted thousands of Russian troops and was used as a springboard for the unsuccessful experience of February 2022 to capture the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

Lithuania – a member of the NATO Military Alliance – also shares a border with Kaliningrad, a highly militarized Russian eccent of the Baltic Sea.

The evacuation plan, opened on Wednesday, identifies 150 routes outside Vilnius and seizes neighborhoods with specific evacuation points, Lithuanian public operator LRT reported.

Residents will be told to evacuate SMS and cheese warnings, with a special application communication system is also under development.

The plan requires some roads and bridge to be expanded to allow the safe and fast flow of people outside the city.

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunaski stressed that any evacuation would be as a last resort if the city’s military defense failed.

He said the publication of the plan should not cause “panic” and stressed that this did not imply an increased threat.

The plan includes elements of how Ukraine responds to the invasion of Russia, especially to the ways in which Kiev suffered the first days of a full -scale invasion.

Officials said the Vilnius plan was developed mainly by the invasion, but said it could also be located in the case of a natural disaster, nuclear attack or a major collapse of essential infrastructure.

Lithuania was previously part of the Soviet Union and declared its independence in 1990, after which it sought more relations with Western Europe, including joining the European Union.

He is a supporter of Ukraine and, like his Baltic neighbors, has repeatedly warned of the threat that the Kremlin’s expansionist ambitions may be for the region.

Belarus and Russia must hold joint large -scale military training in September, which could potentially see troops located near the Lithuanian border.

Military strategists have long examined the so -called gap in Suvavalki – a narrow section along the border of Lithuania, which moves between Kaliningrad and Belarus – a potential vulnerability in NATO defenses

His occupation would cut the land routes connecting Poland with Lithuania and to other Baltic countries.