Lithuania upgrades key NATO corridor amid rising tensions with Russia

Lithuania has announced plans to upgrade and fortify a key road through the Suwałki Gap in a bid to bolster its defence capabilities and ensure rapid movement of NATO forces between Poland and the Baltic states.

The initiative aims to address one of NATO’s most strategically sensitive areas amid heightened tensions with Russia, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

“These roads [are] critical to us from a security and defense perspective,” Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Godliauskas said. “They’ve always been part of our civil-military planning as key ground routes for allied support during a crisis.”

The Suwałki Gap, a narrow 100-kilometer corridor between Poland and Lithuania, lies between Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Kremlin ally Belarus. It serves as the only land bridge connecting the Baltic states to the rest of NATO and is widely regarded as a potential flashpoint in the event of a conflict with Russia.

Currently, Lithuania relies on two main routes through the area: the Via Baltica, a major NATO military corridor from Kaunas to Warsaw, and the Vilnius-Augustów road. In coordination with Poland, Lithuania now plans to upgrade the latter to dual-use standards for both civilian and military purposes.

“It's just one more option to ensure better logistics in times of need,” said Godliauskas.

The broader project includes the reconstruction of 113 kilometers of road and renovation of eight bridges, with completion aimed for 2028. However, Godliauskas cautioned, “With multinational projects, things can take longer. But we hope that the geopolitical situation, our interest and Poland's capabilities will allow us to reach that timeline.”

New security measures are also under consideration, including “road control points and blocking systems like cement barriers” near the borders with Kaliningrad and Belarus. Additionally, Lithuania is tackling electronic warfare threats. “We’re discussing how to address GPS spoofing and jamming from Russia, which is already affecting our civil aviation and navigation systems,” said Godliauskas.

Though not formally part of NATO or EU programs, the project is a bilateral effort with Poland. “We’ll be lobbying the EU — together with Poland, Estonia, and Latvia — to ensure these projects are prioritized,” he added.

By Vafa Guliyeva