Lithuania Discovers Secret Tunnel from Belarus, Suspects Migrant Smuggling

Lithuanian authorities have uncovered an underground tunnel extending from Belarus into Lithuania, which they suspect was designed to facilitate the smuggling of illegal migrants. The discovery in the southeastern part of the country has heightened concerns in Vilnius about increasingly sophisticated methods employed to circumvent the European Union's external border defenses.

The tunnel, measuring about one meter in diameter, was detected by border guards using devices that registered unusual ground vibrations. While the passage had not yet reached the Lithuanian side, its existence points to a coordinated effort to breach border security. Lithuanian officials believe the tunnel was intended for the illicit transport of migrants from Belarus into Lithuania.

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We have almost no doubt that the Belarusian authorities are either closing their eyes or actively helping migrants dig these tunnels. Perhaps they are not digging them themselves, but the work is clearly being organized with the participation of migrants.

Rustamas Ljubajevas, commander of the Lithuanian Border Guard Service, stated that border guards have identified dozens of other locations where similar underground passages might exist. He expressed strong suspicion that Belarusian authorities are either turning a blind eye or actively aiding migrants in constructing these tunnels, even if not directly involved in the digging. Ljubajevas cited the presence of wooden support structures within the tunnel and the logistical challenges of transporting construction materials near the border as evidence suggesting the involvement of Belarusian border services.

This incident is not isolated. Similar underground passages were discovered on the Belarus-Poland border in 2025. At the time, Polish authorities suggested that highly skilled individuals from the Middle East were involved in their design, while some media outlets warned of a new phase of hybrid pressure on EU states. The migrant crisis at the Belarus border with EU countries has persisted since spring 2021, with a significant increase in migrants attempting to enter Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia via Belarus. The EU and these nations accuse Minsk of orchestrating these migration flows as a form of political pressure, an accusation that Belarus denies.

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It is almost impossible to imagine that such work could be carried out without the support of the Belarusian border guards.