Lithuania: Two checkpoints on Belarus border to be closed

Lithuania will close two of its six border checkpoints with Belarus following the arrival of Russian private military company Wagner Group’s mercenaries in Belarus, Deputy Interior Minister Arnoldas Abramavicius announced, BNS reports. He said that the plan was to close the Sumskas and Tverecius border checkpoints. Saulius Nekrasevicius, deputy director of the State Border Guard Service (VSAT), said that the closure of border checkpoints would reduce risks. He noted that the throughput capacity of the Sumskas and Tverecius checkpoints was already limited. Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite discussed the border situation with her Polish counterpart, Mariusz Kaminski. Earlier, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland should be ready to close their borders with Belarus together if the security situation deteriorated because of Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus.