Lithuania aims to deter Russia by upgrading ‘critical’ road and anti-border defenses

Lithuania is set to upgrade and fortify a second route through the Suwałki Gap — a crucial choke point along the border with Poland that's seen as one of likeliest areas for any future Russian attack on the European Union and NATO.

“These roads [are] critical to us from a security and defense perspective,” Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Godliauskas told POLITICO in a telephone interview. “They’ve always been part of our civil-military planning as key ground routes for allied support during a crisis.”

The Suwałki Gap is a sparsely populated 100-kilometer-wide stretch of forested flat land connecting Poland and Lithuania and bordered by Kremlin ally Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave. It's considered one of NATO’s most vulnerable points, serving as a vital land corridor linking the Baltic states to the rest of the alliance.

Lithuania has currently two main roads crossing the gap: one running from Kaunas in Lithuania to Warsaw — part of the Via Baltica military corridor — and the ordinary route between the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius and the Polish city of Augustów.

In coordination with Poland, Lithuania is now moving to expand its military infrastructure network beyond Via Baltica — which is the country’s primary route for allied reinforcements — by upgrading the Vilnius-Augustów road to dual-use standards for both civilian and military needs.

Via Baltica and the Rail Baltica line — a project to build a high-speed rail link from the Baltics to Poland — currently serve as the primary channels for military mobility. The goal is to improve the flow of goods, facilitate troop movements, and support potential civilian evacuations in the event of war. “It's just one more option to ensure better logistics in times of need,” Godliauskas said.

The effort is part of a broader European push to invest in dual-use infrastructure — projects designed to meet both civilian and military needs. Countries such as Spain, Belgium and Slovakia are pursuing similar upgrades. EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has said that the bloc will need to spend at least €70 billion to urgently adapt its rail, road, sea and air corridors.

In addition to improving mobility, the Suwałki project may also include new border security measures.

“Especially in the Suwałki area, there are talks about new protections along the borders with Kaliningrad and Belarus,” Godliauskas said, mentioning discussions around placing counter-mobility elements near or on borders such as road control points and blocking systems like cement barriers.

Godliauskas also said that ensuring freedom of movement for troops and goods along the two roads is a priority, and added that such border protection operations are likely to be closely monitored by Russia as "sensitive and vital" information.

He also added that security measures extend beyond the physical domain. “We’re discussing how to address GPS spoofing and jamming from Russia, which is already affecting our civil aviation and navigation systems.”

The full scope of the project includes reconstructing 113 kilometers of road and renovating eight bridges. Lithuania’s Deputy Transport Minister Roderikas Žiobakas told POLITICO recently that the work is expected to be completed by 2028.

Godliauskas was more cautious. “With multinational projects, things can take longer,” he said. “But we hope that the geopolitical situation, our interest and Poland's capabilities will allow us to reach that timeline.”

Lithuania hopes to secure EU funding for the project. “We’ll be lobbying the EU — together with Poland, Estonia, and Latvia — to ensure these projects are prioritized" in the bloc's next multiyear budget, Godliauskas said.

Although aligned with EU and NATO military mobility goals, the road project is not officially part of either organization’s programs. Instead, it is being funded as a bilateral initiative between the Polish and Lithuanian transport and defense ministries.

“We’ll invest in the section up to the Lithuanian border, and we’re asking Poland to upgrade their side of the Augustów road to meet military mobility standards,” Godliauskas said.

Polish officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.