Lithuania's border guard chief Lubajevas resigns after border scandal
Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (VSAT) chief Rustamas Lubajevas has resigned following an incident in which migrants attacked border guards and fled back to Belarus. Interior Minister Martynas Kateliauskas called the decision a responsible step.
The commander of Lithuania's State Border Guard Service (VSAT), Rustamas Lubajevas, has resigned, Interior Minister Martynas Kateliauskas announced on Monday. According to the minister, Lubajevas informed him personally, saying he did not want to harm the service's reputation and prestige. Kateliauskas described the decision as a responsible step and said he would soon submit a proposal to the government for Lubajevas's dismissal.
What happened at the border
The resignation follows an incident in late July in the Lazdijai district near the border with Belarus. At the Kapčiamiestis border post, guards discovered a tunnel under the state border and attempted to detain several migrants using it, handcuffing them. However, around 20 migrants attacked the border guards, who were forced to flee, and the detainees, along with other migrants, escaped back into Belarus.
At the time, VSAT publicly reported the discovered tunnel and the migrants' escape but did not mention the attack on its officers. The Lithuanian portal Delfi later reported on the attack. Lubajevas repeatedly denied that any attack had taken place, claiming VSAT had been unable to confirm it.
Fallout and criticism
After the information became public, Kateliauskas ordered a review of VSAT's leadership. The portal Lrytas reported that one border guard suffered minor injuries during the incident — migrants tried to drag him into the tunnel toward Belarus — and that he is currently on sick leave. Media outlets also reported that Lubajevas had instructed border guards on what to say about the incident.
Kateliauskas stressed that VSAT's leadership needs the full confidence of staff, the public and political leadership, noting the incident raised questions both about the timeliness and accuracy of the information provided and about the circumstances of the incident itself. The minister could not yet name a candidate to head VSAT.
Lubajevas had led VSAT since December 2019 and was confirmed for a second five-year term in late 2024. Before that, he served as chief adviser of the Interior Ministry's Public Security Policy Group.
