Lithuania Proposes Sharper Limit on Russian Transit
Lithuanian lawmaker Arvydas Anušauskas has registered amendments to the Law on the State Border and Its Guard that would cut the time Russian citizens are allowed to spend in the country while in transit from 24 hours to six, according to reports from UNITED24 Media and The New Voice of Ukraine, citing Delfi.
The proposal comes as Lithuanian authorities report a significant increase in documented transit violations. Nearly 13,000 passenger cars with Russian license plates crossed Lithuania under simplified transit documents last year, according to Delfi on August 17. During that period, documented cases of transit abuse rose from 360 violations in 2024 to 1,493 in 2025, as reported by UNITED24 Media.
Presidential Adviser Sees No Grounds for Objection
Marius Česnulevičius, an adviser to the Lithuanian president, said he saw no reason to oppose the proposal, according to The New Voice of Ukraine. He argued that the restriction could reduce the number of potential violations of Lithuania's transit rules.
"There really are no grounds for objection. I think the main point is that the proposal focuses specifically on the time limit: if people are currently allowed to stay for up to 24 hours, reducing that to six hours would make traveling around Lithuania less attractive," Česnulevičius said.
He also said shortening the permitted transit period should not be regarded as humiliating to those affected by the measure.
Legal Safeguards and Enforcement
Anušauskas emphasized that the proposal does not breach European Union legislation or unilaterally alter the maximum 24-hour limit set by the Council Regulation of 2003, according to UNITED24 Media. The draft law explicitly accounts for objective delays, including vehicle breakdowns, traffic accidents, border queues, and bad weather, which allow for longer transit as long as the total travel time does not exceed the EU maximum 24-hour cap.
To enforce compliance, Anušauskas suggests utilizing existing automatic license plate recognition infrastructure to log transit entry, exit, and route deviations in real time.
Calls for Government and International Action
Anušauskas sent a written request to Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius, calling for an immediate evaluation of current transit controls and the creation of a unified government-level strategy regarding simplified transit between mainland Russia and the Kaliningrad region. In additional appeals to Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys and Interior Minister Martynas Kaltenis, he stressed the need for international action.
"The 2003 EU regulation allowing 24-hour transit was adopted under entirely different geopolitical conditions. Today, Russia is waging Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and carrying out hybrid operations against the European Union," Anušauskas said, as quoted by UNITED24 Media.
He proposed a three-tier plan: strengthening national-level controls, coordinating with Latvia, Estonia, Poland and other partners, and submitting a formal request to the European Commission to amend regulatory acts. If approved by the Seimas, the amendments would take effect on January 1, 2027.
Broader Security Context
Lithuanian authorities held interagency functional exercises in February to assess control measures over the transit route, according to UNITED24 Media. On August 5, 2026, Lithuanian border guards detected an unfinished four-meter underground tunnel dug from Belarus beneath a border fence at a depth of 1.5 meters near Latežeris village in Druskininkai municipality, bringing subterranean crossing attempts to 12 since the beginning of 2026, the outlet reported.