A Polish citizen crossed the dunes from the Lithuanian part of the Curonian Spit in the Kaliningrad region and was later detained by Russian border guards. The incident occurred on October 25 and was classified as an unusual violation of the Russian border.
Lithuanian border guards detected the man using a technical surveillance system on the Baltic Sea coast. He moved along the dunes, then continued along the sea towards the Russian border.
A patrol from the Lithuanian border service was sent to the scene. However, by the time he arrived, the man had already crossed the state border, despite warning signs posted along the route.
“Some time later, we received information from Russia via the border service communication channels that the man, probably a Polish citizen, had been detained by Russian border guards“, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reported.
Such cases are rare
According to Lithuanian authorities, such crossings along the coast are unusual. The last recorded case of crossing from Lithuania to Russia along the Baltic coast was in 2018. In the opposite direction - from Russia to Lithuania - a similar violation was reported in 2017.
The Curonian Spit is a narrow strip of sand divided between Lithuania and the Kaliningrad region. There are signs in several languages in the area warning of the border zone and the proximity of the state border.
The Lithuanian Border Guard has registered the case and is clarifying the circumstances surrounding the crossing. No further details about the detention of the Polish citizen have been reported.
Sources: gazeta.press, delfi.lt