The Lithuanian Armed Forces and their allies have reached “full operational capability” and are carrying out all of their tasks for NATO’s summit starting in Vilnius on July 11. The Armed Forces are reinforcing security on land, in territorial waters and airspace, with more than 3,000 Lithuanian and over 1,000 allied troops involved in performing the tasks around the clock.
These include air defence, protection of critical facilities, important routes and persons, security checks on places of accommodation and vehicles, search for explosives at facilities, and the monitoring of the information environment.
More than 12,000 additional troops are on standby and ready to respond immediately if required, the Armed Forces announced. Lithuanian military personnel have been given additional rights to ensure the security of the NATO summit: they will be armed and visible both at fixed posts and on mobile tasks in various locations. They will have the right to ask individuals to comply with their requests, for example, to stay away from a certain site or area, or to not film certain sites or persons.
The July 11-12 summit is expected to bring together 48 delegations with 2,400 members, including 40 heads of state. Lithuania is hosting an event of this scale for the first time.
