Poland and Lithuania ready evacuation plans for Nato's 'Achilles heel' amid fears of Russian attack within weeks

From the Newshound archive · first published 27 September 2026 · last updated 29 September 2026.

Poland has joined Lithuania in drawing up a formal evacuation framework for the Suwalki Gap, the narrow 60-mile land corridor between Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave whose capture would cut the Baltic states off from Nato's overland supply lines. Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre chief Vilmantas Vitkauskas confirmed that the two countries are jointly reviewing procedures, logistics and infrastructure. The plans are expected to incorporate border restrictions preventing essential personnel from leaving during any mobilisation.

Wedged between Russian-allied Belarus and Moscow's heavily-armed Kaliningrad exclave, the Suwalki Gap is considered Nato's most strategically vulnerable corridor.