Lithuania finds third underground tunnel under Belarus border
Lithuanian State Border Guard officials announced the discovery of a third underground tunnel beneath the fence on the Lithuania‑Belarus border. The unfinished passage, about 1.5 m deep and reinforced with tree trunks and wooden boards, extends roughly four metres from Belarusian territory into Lithuanian soil near the village of Latežeris in the Druskininkai municipality.
The tunnel has no exit on the Lithuanian side and was sealed after detection. Authorities say this is the third such tunnel uncovered in recent weeks, part of at least 12 recorded attempts this year to breach the border underground. Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas ordered an internal investigation, while Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius criticised the delayed public announcement of a prior incident in which border guards were attacked by migrants resisting arrest. Lithuania has repeatedly accused Belarus of organising migrant smuggling and has reinforced the border with a fence and increased surveillance.
Entities: Abelardo De La Espriella · Belarus · Cali · Colombian Armed Forces · Lithuania · Lithuanian Border Guard Service · Martynas Katelynas · Mindaugas Sinkevičius · Pedro Sánchez · Rustamas Liubajevas · Spain · State Border Guard Service
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 19 SOURCES] This is the third tunnel discovered in recent weeks under the Lithuania‑Belarus border. (belongs)
- [● 19 SOURCES] The tunnel extends about four metres from Belarusian territory into Lithuania. (belongs)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Lithuanian Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas ordered an internal investigation of the tunnel incident. (belongs)
- [● 19 SOURCES] The tunnel is unfinished, about 1.5 m deep and reinforced with tree trunks and wooden boards. (belongs)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius criticised the delayed announcement of the attack on border guards. (belongs)
- [● 19 SOURCES] In a previous incident, Lithuanian border guards were attacked by migrants resisting arrest. (belongs)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Lithuanian border guards discovered a secret tunnel under the Lithuania‑Belarus border fence. (belongs)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Lithuania accuses Belarus of organized migrant smuggling and has reinforced the border with a fence and increased surveillance. (belongs)