Within the Lithuanian border city of Barvoniskes, a small group of aged residents collect at a neighborhood church for the Sunday service.
As they settle into their seats, a priest wearing flowing cream-coloured robes takes to the altar to ship the weekly sermon, adopted by a brief prayer for peace and safety within the area.
The once-bustling Sunday service has develop into a solemn and sparsely populated occasion since Moscow launched its assault on Kyiv in February 2022.
Like residents of dozens of jap Lithuanian cities alongside the border with Russia’s closest wartime ally Belarus, residents in Barvoniskes trickled out of their hometown over latest months. They concern an imminent Russian invasion of their nation because the struggle on Ukraine rages on.
With the small Baltic state sandwiched between Belarus to the east and the closely militarised Russian enclave Kaliningrad to the south, Lithuania – a NATO member with a inhabitants of practically three million – has been deeply affected by the Russia-Ukraine struggle.
Cautious that their capital Vilnius sits solely 50km (31 miles) from Belarus, Lithuanian authorities beefed up border safety with the beginning of the struggle and hastened the erection of a border fence initially meant to discourage irregular migration into the EU.
However regardless of ramping up defence funding and border safety, Lithuania’s border area has become a ghost city with residents deserting their houses looking for work alternatives and safety elsewhere.
“It’s now not protected round right here,” 68-year-old Rozalija, a Lithuanian housewife residing in Barvoniskes, informed Al Jazeera as she walked out of the outdated church with a small handkerchief in her hand.
Like most of the youthful era, Rozalija’s three grownup kids left Barvoniskes final yr.
“We barely see anybody any extra – everybody’s left,” she stated.
Migration disaster
Previously a part of the Soviet Union, Lithuania’s animosity with Russia extends a long time into the previous, however its latest safety disaster started months earlier than the struggle on Ukraine.
After the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on Belarus and its longtime president, Alexander Lukashenko, in April 2021 over what it perceived as fraudulent elections, the EU member state noticed a dramatic rise within the variety of undocumented migrants crossing over the Belarusian border to enter the EU by way of Lithuania.
Lithuania responded by accusing Belarus of orchestrating a mass inflow of irregular migrants from Africa and the Center East, which it estimated in August 2021 to be greater than 4,000 over the previous yr.
As an preliminary response to the state of affairs, Vilnius ordered in July 2021 the constructing of a 520km (323-mile) fence alongside its border with Belarus.
With the beginning of the struggle on Ukraine, Vilnius permitted an distinctive price range of 152 million euros ($169m) to hurry up constructing of the border fence – which it accomplished in August 2022 – and gave border guards the suitable to show away migrants.
Whereas Belarus has denied the accusations, Vilnius calls for 120 million euros ($133m) in compensation from its neighbour, declaring in a diplomatic word despatched to Minsk in April that the sum goals to cowl bills Lithuania “suffered not solely by preserving migrants, but in addition by strengthening our border management, infrastructure that we didn’t have”.
In keeping with Moze, a Lithuanian border safety guard in Lavoriskes, regardless of the erection of the fence and set up of inspection cameras, securing the nation’s jap border stays difficult.
Unmanned components close to lakes and forested areas proceed to be potential entry factors for migrants or a attainable assault, he informed Al Jazeera.
“The border has develop into extra vital for the reason that struggle – we concern it may very well be used [by Russia] to assault our nation or by Belarus to extend the inflow of unlawful migrants,” stated Moze.
Lack of safety
Though irregular migration throughout the Lithuania-Belarus border dramatically subsided for the reason that begin of the Russia-Ukraine struggle, emotions of insecurity amongst many Lithuanians residing in border cities haven’t.
Standing subsequent to her mom, Rozalija’s 39-year-old daughter Gintare is visiting for the weekend. For the previous yr, she has been working as a nurse within the capital, whereas her two brothers relocated to the coastal metropolis of Klaipeda.
“It’s a mixture of the struggle and migrants that’s ruined our lives,” Gintare informed Al Jazeera. There’s no sense of safety nor alternatives right here.”
Till the struggle started, the three siblings lived in Barvoniskes. Since transferring out, they take common turns to verify in on her their mom.
Regional risk
In keeping with Tomas Janeliunas, professor of worldwide relations at Vilnius College, the struggle on Ukraine has been “worrisome” for Lithuanians and residents of different Baltic states beforehand invaded by Russia.
Extra not too long ago, rumours that Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s largest political and monetary patron, began constructing camps for Russia’s Wagner mercenary group in its forests has ramped up regional fear.
“We really feel a pointy risk from Russia due to our experiences over the centuries,” stated Janeliunas, referring to earlier Russian invasions.
“When Russia waged its struggle on Ukraine, it was our first name to be on the very best alert, put money into our defence and safety, and acquire the assist of different NATO member states,” he added.
Vilnius hosted NATO’s two-day 2023 summit final week with the struggle on Ukraine and regional safety topping the convention agenda.
“Lithuania [and other Baltic states] consider that if Ukraine have been to fall, they’d be subsequent,” stated Janeliunas. “That’s been an enormous motivation for us to supply all of the assist Ukraine wants.”
Solely the outdated
Whereas many younger individuals have left Lithuania’s border cities, most of the aged stay regardless of feeling insecure.
“They stated the fence will shield us, however we’ve felt much less protected for the reason that [Ukraine] struggle began,” stated Domantas, a 73-year-old from the Lithuanian border city Vinziunai.
Holding palms together with his spouse of fifty years, Angelika, Domantas stated: “Our youngsters have all left [the town] however that is the place we need to die.”
Like Domantas and Angelika, Lautius, a 70-year-old pensioner from the Lithuanian border city of Suskas, refuses to go away house and feels bitter about what the fence has carried out to his land.
“This fence has carried out nothing however take away my land from me,” stated Lautius, explaining that it ate into his farmland and compelled him to maneuver away from his cattle.
“However no matter occurs, I received’t depart my hometown,” he stated.
