Lithuanian troops on exercises in Aug 2016 -AFP (File Photo)
Lithuania has announced plans to build a fence to boost security on its border with Russia's Kaliningrad enclave. The move comes amid heightened tensions in the Baltic region, where Nato is deploying extra troops and Russia has installed nuclear-capable missiles. The fence will cover about 135km (84 miles) of border, from Vistytis to the Neman River, which runs to the Baltic Sea. No barrier exists there currently. Lithuania says it aims to prevent any Russian provocations and smuggling.
Lithuanian Interior Minister Eimutis Misiunas said one such provocation was the incident on Estonia's border in 2014, when an Estonian security official was detained by Russia. In August 2015 Russia jailed Eston Kohver on spying charges. But he was freed the following month in a spy swap with Russia. Like its Baltic neighbors, Lithuania was alarmed by Russia's March 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. Russian help for pro-Russian insurgents in eastern Ukraine further fuelled their concern about hybrid warfare - that is, acts of aggression like infiltration of special forces and cyber attacks on critical infrastructure.
Soldiers in unmarked uniforms took over Crimea and were nicknamed little green men. Only a year later did Russian President Vladimir Putin admit that Russian forces had been involved. Nato has begun deploying a US-led army battalion to Poland and three more will go to the three Baltic states, reaching a total of about 4,000 troops. Russia has condemned the move. Misiunas told the AFP news agency that the 2m-high (6.5ft) fence would cost about €30m (£26m; $32m), with most funding coming from Lithuania's EU partners.
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