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Lithuania has updated an evacuation plan for Vilnius that includes a route toward Poland in the event of a military threat or serious crisis, according to a report by Poland’s national broadcaster Polskie Radio.
Vilnius, located about 40 kilometers from the Belarus border, has three main evacuation routes under the plan. One leads toward Poland, while the other two head north and west within Lithuania.
The method and order of evacuation would depend on the location and scale of the threat.
Residents with their own vehicles would be expected to leave the city using designated routes, while local authorities would organize transportation for those without private vehicles.
The plan calls for evacuation to begin before a direct threat emerges. In the event of bombardment, however, residents would be instructed not to leave the city along evacuation routes and instead take shelter in designated locations.
Zygimantas Solovjovas, head of the Vilnius City Municipality’s Civil Security Department, said one reason for preparing the plan was to familiarize residents with the need for an orderly evacuation.
He said allowing chaos would make the process more difficult.
A decision to evacuate all or part of Vilnius could be made by the city’s mayor. In the event of a broader threat, the Lithuanian government could also order an evacuation.
On the Polish side, preparations are also underway for the Podlaskie region to serve as a transit corridor for residents of the Baltic states.
Local authorities in the region are also being involved in work on emergency plans.
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