Lithuania’s armed forces are pounding prototype bunkers with artillery shells to test which would best withstand a potential Russian attack.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are rapidly reinforcing their armed forces in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as tensions rise in the region. All three countries have pledged to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense.
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This week’s tests at the military training area in Pabradė, eastern Lithuania, simulate the blasts of standard Russian artillery shells. They will assess whether a bunker that appears to be intact actually protects the personnel inside, the armed forces said in a press release.
Pressure, sound levels, wall vibrations inside the bunker and other indicators are being measured, it added.
Promising prototype bunkers will be installed at Pabradė and a second military training area by the end of 2025 and used for future training exercises.
The project aims to learn lessons from Ukraine as it resists Russian forces, the Lithuanian army said.
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In Estonia, meanwhile, the army last year started testing prototypes of the 600 bunkers the country plans to install along its eastern border with Russia.
Three types of dummy structures were hit by 155-millimeter artillery shells in October to test if they could withstand the impact.
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Officials from Latvia, Lithuania and Poland were on the ground observing the tests, the Estonian army said.
The three Baltic states are reinforcing their borders with Russia and Belarus as part of the “Baltic Defense Line.” Poland’s “East Shield” initiative will do the same.
Steps already taken include acquiring mines, installing concrete blocks known as dragons’ teeth, and digging tank traps in frontier areas.
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