Lithuania's border guard chief resigns amid cover-up claims over migrant attack

Rustamas Liubajevas, who had led Lithuania's State Border Guard Service (VSAT) since 2019, has resigned following growing scrutiny of how the agency handled and reported a violent incident on the Belarusian border. Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas told a press conference on Monday that the resignation was Liubajevas' personal decision, not something he had pushed for, and read out a statement in which Liubajevas said he did not want to harm the service's reputation.

Katelynas acknowledged that under Liubajevas the service had withstood a hybrid migration attack orchestrated by Belarus and strengthened protection of Lithuania's and the EU's external border under intense geopolitical pressure. However, he said the border incident raised serious questions — not just about whether information was reported promptly and fully, but about the circumstances of the incident itself.

What happened at the border

The incident occurred on July 26 near Kapčiamiestis, when four border guards monitored a group of migrants believed to be digging a tunnel under the border. The tunnel was discovered and several migrants were detained, but it later emerged that around 20 more people attacked the officers on duty. Initially only the tunnel's discovery was made public, while the attack went unreported.

The outlet Lrytas later reported that migrants had tried to drag one of the officers back across the border into Belarus. Vitalijus Jagminas, head of a trade union representing investigation staff, confirmed the account, saying the officer was released only after breaking free. He accused VSAT leadership of selectively disclosing information and said staff had reportedly been ordered not to discuss the incident.

Prosecutors initially said they had no information about an officer being injured or dragged across the border, but later transferred the criminal investigation from VSAT itself to police in the Kaunas region.

Political reaction

Some politicians said responsibility should not rest with the chief alone, calling for scrutiny of the wider chain of command. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius had urged waiting for the results of an internal inquiry before drawing conclusions, while opposition leader Laurynas Kasčiūnas cautioned against letting one incident overshadow Liubajevas' record in managing the migration crisis. A disciplinary inquiry and a separate criminal investigation are both under way, with a deputy taking over the service on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is named.