Lithuanian border guard chief resigns over migrant attack on officers
The head of Lithuania's State Border Guard Service, Rustamas Liubajevas, has resigned following an incident in which migrants from Belarus attacked border guards. Interior Minister Martynas Kateliauskas (Katelīns) called the decision a responsible step.
Lithuania's interior minister announced on Monday that Rustamas Liubajevas, head of the State Border Guard Service (VSAT), has stepped down. The resignation follows an incident at the border in which migrants who had illegally crossed from Belarus attacked border guards.
The minister said Liubajevas personally informed him that, having weighed all the circumstances and not wanting to harm VSAT's reputation, he decided to leave his post. The minister described the move as a responsible decision and said he would soon submit a proposal to the government to formally release Liubajevas from his duties.
What happened at the border
The incident took place in late July in the Lazdijai district near the Belarusian border. In the area of the Kapčiamiestis border post, officers discovered a tunnel dug under the state border and set up an ambush. While detaining several migrants and handcuffing them, border guards were attacked by around 20 migrants, forcing them to flee. The detained migrants, including those still handcuffed, escaped back into Belarus.
VSAT initially reported the discovery of the tunnel and the migrants' escape but did not disclose the attack on its officers — that detail later emerged through reporting by the Lithuanian Delfi portal. Liubajevas repeatedly denied that any attack had taken place, saying VSAT had not been able to confirm such a fact.
After the information became public, the minister ordered a review of VSAT's leadership. The Lrytas portal later reported that one border guard suffered minor injuries during the incident and that migrants had tried to drag him through the tunnel into Belarus; that officer is reportedly currently on sick leave. Media reports also indicated Liubajevas had instructed border guards on what to say about the incident.
The minister stressed that VSAT's leadership needs the full trust of staff, the public and political leadership, noting the incident raised questions both about whether information was reported promptly and accurately and about the circumstances of the incident itself. He could not yet name a candidate to head VSAT.
Liubajevas had led VSAT since December 2019 and was reappointed to a second five-year term in late 2024. He previously served as chief adviser of the Interior Ministry's Public Security Policy Group.
