Fortified bridges and "dragon’s teeth": Lithuania braces for conflict
"Lithuania has fortified another bridge over the Nemunas River on the route from the Kaliningrad," announced the country's Ministry of Defence. "Fortifications will be supported by firepower, in case it’s needed, to stop and destroy the enemy," it added.
The Lithuanians have installed so-called dragon's teeth on the bridge over the Neman River. These are reinforced concrete blocks in the shape of a truncated pyramid, designed to halt enemy tanks if necessary.
Some bridges may be demolished
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence stated in a communiqué published on the X service that the construction of fortifications is "proceeding according to plan."
"Fortifications are progressing as planned, with some bridges set to be demolished. Fortifications will be supported by firepower, in case it’s needed, to stop and destroy the enemy," it added.
"We must be prepared for war"
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland are cooperating better to secure the eastern border of the EU and NATO; efforts are underway to secure additional funding from the EU and explore the possibility from NATO of immediate reinforcement of air defence—an announcement made at the end of September by Latvia's Minister of Defence, Andris Spruds.
Spruds acknowledged the need to be ready for conflict and vigilant even during times of peace. He highlighted that the risk to civilians comes not only from drones in flight but also from debris or objects that fall from them. Drawing from Ukraine’s experiences, he stressed this point, according to LTV television.
Recently, physical security measures have been undertaken in the east of the four countries bordering Russia and Belarus as part of the Baltic Defence Line project. In Lithuania, the focus is on securing critical infrastructure objects, such as bridges.
In Latvia, along border sections, concrete and reinforced concrete anti-tank elements, known as "dragon's teeth," spiked obstacles, or stone blocks, are being set up. In Estonia, bunkers are being constructed, and in Poland, several thousand additional soldiers have been deployed to the border with Belarus, as reported by the Latvian broadcaster.
