Reuters: Baltic States Prepared To Evacuate More Than A Million People
4- 10.10.2025, 13:57
- 6,570
In case of Russian aggression.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are developing plans for a possible Russian invasion, which envisage mass evacuation of the population. In total, it is expected that about 1.2 million people out of 6.2 million inhabitants of the region may leave their homes.
The Baltic States have expressed fears of possible military aggression by the Russian Federation, citing recent events - the invasion of Russian fighter jets and drones, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. At the same time, the states began close cooperation in the field of civil defense back in May this year. This was reported by Reuters on October 10.
Lithuania
Lithuania held an exercise this week that included the evacuation of hundreds of people from Vilnius. However, real scenarios suggest a much larger scale - up to the departure of hundreds of thousands of residents.
"Threats can be different. Perhaps we will see a powerful army along the Baltic borders with the obvious goal of capturing all three countries in three days or a week," said the head of the Lithuanian fire department Renatas Pogela.
He said the country is preparing to evacuate about 400,000 people living within 40 kilometers of the border with Russia and Belarus. About 300 thousand people are planned to be temporarily housed in schools, universities, churches and sports arenas, including the stadium in Kaunas.
The country has already identified collection points, train and bus routes, as well as created stocks of food, toilet paper and camping mattresses. For motorists, maps with alternative roads have been prepared to keep the main highways free for the needs of the army.
Latvia and Estonia
The Latvian authorities predict that up to a third of the population - about 630,000 people - may be forced to leave their homes in the event of a Russian attack. This was stated by Ivars Nakurts, deputy head of the State Fire and Rescue Service.
And in Estonia, a plan is being developed to relocate 10% of the population - about 140,000 people - to temporary shelters. According to mass evacuation adviser Ivar May, those who have nowhere else to go will be helped first, while the rest will be able to stay with relatives.
Reuters notes that none of the Baltic states are planning to evacuate citizens beyond their borders. The fact is that in the strategically important Suvalki corridor connecting Lithuania and Poland, priority will be given to military transport, not civilian refugees.
It should be noted that the intelligence services of a number of European countries consider a possible Russian attack in the coming years. In early February 2025, the Danish Foreign and Military Intelligence Service published a report in which it was noted that Moscow was preparing for a confrontation with NATO and could pose a direct threat to the Alliance in about five years after the end of the war in Ukraine.
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