Poland and Lithuania are developing an international evacuation plan for civilians amid potential military threats. The plan would enable residents from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to cross into Poland if necessary.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre, revealed that preparations are already under way, with officials from both nations reviewing logistics, procedures, and infrastructure. A detailed plan will follow once an agreement is reached.
These efforts are part of Lithuania’s “Vyčio Skliautas 2026” exercises, which began on 25 September to test the nation’s mobilisation system and cooperative crisis response. Running until 3 October, the drills include practical tests for population evacuation.
Approximately 3,000 officials, including local authorities and NGOs, along with around 1,000 volunteers, are participating. Around 20 representatives from Polish institutions have also travelled to Lithuania for the exercises. These drills are assessing warning systems, assembly points, transport logistics, and the movement of evacuees, with Poland actively involved in cross-border evacuation planning.
Lithuanian officials emphasize that the exercises are designed to develop and refine crisis management procedures and do not indicate an impending threat.
The Suwałki gap, a critical corridor linking Poland and Lithuania, holds military and logistical significance for the plan. It comprises the primary land routes between Lithuania and Poland, vital for troop movements and civilian evacuation during a crisis.
Poland is making preparations to receive evacuees from the Baltic states. In September, officials from Lithuania and Latvia visited Poland to study mass evacuation, civil protection, and arrangements for accommodating evacuees. Discussions involved Polish security and civil protection representatives.
Lithuania has already established its own evacuation routes, particularly from Vilnius towards the Polish border, with Poland’s Podlaskie Voivodeship gearing up to serve as a transit corridor for those fleeing from the Baltic states.
