Rustamas Liubajevas resigns as Lithuania's border guard chief

Rustamas Liubajevas has resigned from his position as the head of the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) in Lithuania. Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas announced the decision, stating that Liubajevas personally communicated his intention to step down to avoid damaging the reputation and prestige of the service.

The resignation follows reports of a late July incident near the border with Belarus in the Lazdijai district. During the incident, a group of migrants attempting to enter Lithuania via a tunnel reportedly attacked VSAT officers. One officer was allegedly grabbed by migrants in an attempt to pull them toward the Belarusian side, though the officer managed to break free.

Liubajevas is stepping down while law enforcement investigates the incident and conducts an internal audit regarding how the event was reported. While the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for Liubajevas’s long service during a period of heightened security threats, former Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė questioned the timing of the leadership change given the current national security climate and hybrid threats.