Lithuania has raised the level of alertness of its Rapid Reaction Force in response to the partial mobilisation in Russia, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said on 21 September.
Writing on Facebook Anušauskas stated, “Since the Russian military mobilisation will also be carried out in the Kaliningrad region, ie in our neighbourhood, Lithuania cannot just watch.”
According to him, the Rapid Reaction Force is being put on high alert to prevent any provocations from Russia.
“We are also considering how to further increase our support to Ukraine, and we call on all our allies to also increase the flow of this support. Russian aggression in Ukraine must be stopped,” the minister said.
“When such level of battle readiness is announced, the rapid reaction force troopers stay in their military units,” the Lithuanian Defense Ministry explained.
“High alert will last for as long as the security situation requires,” Brigade General Vilmantas Tamosaitis, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, said.
Lithuania’s rapid-reaction force which is made up of 2,500 military personnel – more than one-fourth of the country’s entire active force – was activated in 2014 following the Russian annexation of Crimea.
