Lithuania finds 12 tunnels dug under border barriers with Belarus this year
Lithuania's interior minister has reported that 12 tunnels dug by migrants under physical border barriers with Belarus have been discovered this year. The finding points to continued attempts to bypass the country's border defenses.
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Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič — referred to in the source as Martīns Katelīns — has stated that 12 tunnels dug by migrants under physical barriers along the border with Belarus have been discovered so far this year.
The tunnels were reportedly dug in an effort to circumvent border fortifications and cross illegally into Lithuanian territory. The minister shared this figure while addressing the ongoing situation at the country's eastern border.
Background
Lithuania, along with the other Baltic states, has faced years of migrant flows originating from Belarus. Tensions escalated after 2021, when Belarusian authorities were accused of orchestrating the movement of migrants toward the EU border in response to Western sanctions. In response, Lithuania has built physical barriers along its border, but migrants continue to search for ways around them, including digging underground passages.
The minister's figure of 12 tunnels found this year alone suggests that pressure on the border persists despite the barriers already constructed. The source material does not specify how many migrants used the tunnels or the exact circumstances under which they were discovered.
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