American newspaper: Lithuanian helicopters "track" Russian trains

The Wall Street Journal reported that Lithuanian helicopters escorted several Russian trains en route to the Kaliningrad region due to “concern” over the Sovalki Pass.

The newspaper also quotes the Lithuanian Ministry of Internal Affairs that the border guards have quadrupled the number of patrol sorties compared to 2020.

“Many Russian trains are escorted by Lithuanian helicopters to make sure they don’t get killed and nothing is unloaded or loaded,” journalist Daniel Michaels wrote.

The journalist also noted that NATO is concerned about the fate of the Polish-Lithuanian border area, located between the Kaliningrad region and Belarus, noting that the mood causes fear and anxiety among many tourists, which negatively affects Polish businessmen in the city of Sovalki and scares investors.

An article on the subject states that “the mayor of the city, Czeslaw Rinkiewicz, told Andrzej Duda (President of Poland) that local companies involved in the production of wood, furniture and other things may soon need state support.”

Former deputy mayor of the Polish municipality of Sowalki, Ewa Sidorich, in turn, argues that in other parts of Poland it is believed that there is “already a battle going on” at the Sowalki Pass.

Since June 18, Lithuania has banned the transit through its territory to the Russian Kaliningrad (enclave) region of Russian goods subject to EU sanctions, including building materials, metals, wood, cement, fertilizers, alcohol, caviar and other goods and materials. which is about half of the total traffic.

Subsequently, the European Commission published clarifications that entry into Kaliningrad by road is still prohibited, but rail transport is possible with appropriate supervision. Against this background, the Lithuanian bank Siauliai, which services all transit operations to Kaliningrad, intends to stop banking operations with Russia from September 1.

It is noteworthy that the Sovalki pass is a piece of land near the town of Sovalki in northeastern Poland, located between Belarus and the Russian Kaliningrad region, and its length is about 100 kilometers.

Source: RIA Novosti

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