Baltic Defence Line | |
Location: | Baltic states |
Type: | Defense line |
Controlledby: | Estonia Latvia Lithuania |
The Baltic Defence Line is a planned joint defense line by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania along their borders with Russia and Belarus.[1] The Baltic Defence Line was announced on 19 January 2024, in a joint-meeting between the Ministers of Defence of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania in Riga.[2] The Baltic Defence Line is to begin construction in Estonia in 2025,[3] [4] construction is to begin in Lithuania by the end of summer 2024,[5] and construction began in Latvia on 2 May 2024.[6]
According to Baiba Braže, the Foreign Minister of Latvia, the Baltic Defence Line could take up to a decade to be completed.[7]
The Baltic Defence Line is planned to consist of anti-mobility defensive installations,[8] such as at least six-hundred bunkers across each individual national border,[9] the usage of natural and artificial obstacles, such as forestry and rivers, and anti-tank ditches along the borders of the three Baltic states.[6] [10] It is suspected that M142 HIMARS artillery rocket systems also are to be used for defensive capabilities.[8] [11]
Alongside the defensive installations, the Baltic Defence Line is to also consist of storage areas, where defensive elements such as dragon's teeth, anti-tank hedgehog and razor wire are to be kept.[3]
The Baltic Defence Line began to be proposed in response to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and in fears over Russian threats to the Baltic states.[12] At the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid is where the concept of defensive installations were decided.[4]