As tensions rise between NATO and Russia, Lithuania braces for conflict | EU News

Various locations, Lithuania – Along the banks of the Nemunas River, flags are a central feature.

On one side, in the sleepy Lithuanian town of Panimun, Lithuanian, Ukrainian and European Union flags flutter in the wind.

On the other hand, the Russian flag flies over the Russian city of Sovetsk. On a nearby building is a decorative letter Z, a symbol used to show support for Russia’s large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

A lone fisherman navigates cautiously under the Queen Louise Bridge, which connects Lithuania to the Kaliningrad region, a sliver of Russian territory sandwiched between two NATO member states. The Lithuanian flag flies at the stern of his boat.

Vehicles have been banned from crossing the checkpoint on the Lithuanian side since 2022, and dragon’s teeth – pyramidal concrete anti-tank barriers – have been installed.

The message is clear: tensions are high, and travel across the bridge is not encouraged.

But this was not always the case.

People lined up on both sides, recalls Titas Polkestelis, a 28-year-old wind turbine technician and resident of Panemun.

“Life here was thriving, with people moving back and forth,” he said.

He added that it was normal to make a day trip to buy cheaper products in every aspect.

Traffic across the bridge slowed after Russia-backed separatists invaded eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2014, Polekstelis said.

And in the wake of a large-scale Russian attack in 2022, the rural town has been placed at the forefront of geopolitical saber-rattling.

Walking through his green garden filled with autumn colours, Polkestilis told Al Jazeera of unusual activity over the past year, including weeks of jamming of phone signals, which he suspects may have been a Russian attempt to test Lithuania’s ability to respond.

He seemed to enjoy most of the activity and described it as “childish.”

An open-air cinema on the Russian side, clearly visible to residents of Panimon, has been broadcasting a near-constant stream of old Soviet war films since 2022, he said.

However, sometimes, he feels unstable.

On several occasions, rapid gunfire was heard, believed to be coming from military exercises in Kaliningrad. One of the explosions was so powerful that the ground beneath it shook.

In recent weeks, Tensions between NATO and Russia The planes exploded, with a number of NATO countries reporting drones entering their airspace.

On October 2 and 3, Munich Airport in Germany closed its runways for several hours after seeing drones.

Estonia said Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace for 12 minutes.

The consequences seem frightening for some in Panemon, but there is a feeling there is little they can do given their precarious location, Polkestelis said.

The city is located near Kaliningrad, home to the nuclear-capable Iskander missile systems, and is close to the Suwalki Gap, a narrow 65-kilometre (40-mile) land corridor between Poland and Lithuania that separates Kaliningrad from Belarus and is seen as NATO’s most vulnerable checkpoint.

“If they are coming, they will come here,” he added, referring to the Russian army.

He bit into an apple he had picked from the tree, took a long breath, then added in a calm tone: “But what can we do?”