Suwałki corridor residents flee en masse amid potential Russian shelling PHOTO

Residents of the strategically vital Suwałki corridor — a narrow 65-kilometre strip of land linking Poland and Lithuania — are fleeing the region en masse, fearing they may be the first victims in a potential conflict between NATO and Russia.

The Suwałki corridor, which separates Belarus from Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, has become one of NATO’s most vulnerable points. Military analysts warn that in the event of an armed confrontation, Russian forces could launch a pincer attack from both Belarus and Kaliningrad, Caliber.Az reports, citing German newspaper Bild.

Given the range of Russian artillery — exceeding 30 kilometres — the entire corridor is within strike distance, potentially enabling Moscow to sever the Baltic states from the rest of Europe.

“We don’t want to be the first to be hit,” local residents told the paper, as joint military exercises and militarisation in the area continue to escalate.

The alarm was echoed by former head of Poland’s National Security Bureau and ex-Deputy Defense Minister Stanisław Koziej, who has repeatedly warned of a potential Russian incursion. “The Russians will enter the Suwałki corridor,” Koziej claimed in comments reported by EADaily, describing the zone as a critical chokepoint in the European security architecture.

In response to growing concerns, Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Defence Tomas Godliauskas announced plans to strengthen and modernise the corridor’s infrastructure and defensive capacity. Details of the modernisation efforts have yet to be disclosed, but are expected to include both civilian and military upgrades.

The Suwałki corridor has long been considered NATO’s Achilles' heel, and recent developments suggest that European governments are taking the threat more seriously than ever. The mass departure of local civilians underscores the real and present fear that this narrow land bridge could become the front line of a wider conflict.

By Khagan Isayev