Lithuania deploys new helicopter to escort Russian transit trains

Lithuania will begin using a new helicopter to monitor Russian trains transiting its territory between Belarus and the Kaliningrad exclave, with the aircraft set to be unveiled on April 7 by border authorities.

"This helicopter will help strengthen surveillance of trains travelling to and from the Kaliningrad Region," said Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič in a statement issued before the launch, Caliber.Az reports via Lithuanian media.

The presentation will be held at the State Border Guard Service's (VSAT) Aviation Base in Paluknys, located in the Trakai District Municipality. Among the attendees is Beate Gminder, the acting director-general for migration and home affairs at the European Commission. She is also scheduled to hold talks with Kondratovič in Vilnius.

"We are now focusing on two priorities: improving the management of our national and EU external borders, and implementing the Migration and Asylum Pact," Kondratovič said in remarks shared with BNS.

The helicopter forms part of a broader effort to enhance security around the Special Transit Scheme, which permits the movement of Russian freight and passenger trains across Lithuanian territory. The European Commission has earmarked €25 million for this purpose, with the funding used to procure modern surveillance equipment, vehicles, and specialised tools.

The aircraft to be introduced is an Airbus H145 – the second of three helicopters ordered by VSAT in 2023. The model, costing €11 million, is expected to accompany Russian trains throughout their passage across Lithuanian territory. The first H145 was delivered in early March, and a third will arrive by July.

According to VSAT chief Rustamas Liubajevas, the remaining two helicopters will be deployed for broader border security operations, including search and rescue missions and organ transport tasks.

By Aghakazim Guliyev