Main image: Vilnius Railway Station. Photo by D. Umbrasas / LRT
Lithuania will strengthen control over the transit of Russian passengers through its territory following an incident in which a Russian citizen escaped from the Adler–Kaliningrad train, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced, LRT reports.
Minister Vladislav Kondratovič stated that an interagency working group has been created and will soon present an updated response algorithm for such incidents, along with new security measures to ensure the stable operation of the special transit scheme.
He emphasized the need for a fundamental review of current practices and legal regulations governing transit to the Kaliningrad region. According to him, escapes, provocations, and possible sabotage pose a serious threat, especially given the deteriorating geopolitical situation and the rise in hybrid operations by Russia.
Specific technical solutions have already been proposed: installing video surveillance and detection systems on locomotives to monitor the entire length of the train, and implementing technology capable of alerting police in real time if a train car door is opened while in motion.
One of the measures under consideration is revising the legal responsibility for unauthorized departure from a transit train. Currently, transit between Russia and the Kaliningrad region via Lithuania is carried out under an agreement between the European Union and Russia. All passengers are screened in accordance with the Schengen Border Code.
Before the train enters Lithuania, the passenger list is sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where a risk assessment is conducted in advance. Russian citizens traveling in transit must not pose a national security threat, be on a wanted list, and must hold valid documents and either a visa or special permit.
Throughout the route from the national border to Kybartai and Kena, passengers are monitored. If necessary, the police, Public Security Service, and even helicopters from the State Border Guard Service are involved.
Despite these measures, last week Russian citizen Danil Mukhametov, born in 2004, jumped from the moving train between the Pilviškės and Kybartai stations. The missing passenger was noticed by a conductor who discovered open train doors 25 minutes before the train’s scheduled arrival at the station. Mukhametov has not yet been found. A similar incident occurred in 2020, when an Uzbek citizen jumped from a train near Vilnius and died in an accident.
