Soldiers near the Kaunas municipality: hundreds of questions, scared eyes and sweets from the hands of a child

Soldiers and marksmen participating in the exercise have been on duty near the municipal building since early Monday morning. Short breaks, rotation – every three hours.

For passers-by, seeing armed guards and military fortifications in the center of Kaunas is a great surprise and attraction. Some are uncomfortable.

“What’s going on here?”, a foreign woman passing by on Laisvė Alley asked as she approached the fence to the men wearing English military uniforms.

When she explained that international military exercises were taking place, the woman puffed up and asked wittily: “Are you learning how to defend the mayor’s office?” If they are international, can you join?”.

“How about going to the municipality? We need a registration department,” one couple asked.

The archers on guard pointed to a small door.

Some children are fascinated, others are frightened

Soon a little boy came to the fence with his mother. He handed the soldiers a piece of candy.

“He wants to be a soldier, he has been restless since morning, asking: “Mom, when are we going to join the soldiers,” the woman explained with a smile.

After hearing this, the participants of the exercise “gave lightning” to the little one.

“Not all children react this way. Another child, maybe 7 years old, was walking. They say soldiers are bad. The parents should explain that this is not the case, that the army protects and defends the state, but the mother did not correct her son, she said that everyone can have their own opinion”, Kaunas shooters described the strange encounter.

While we were talking, a woman approached who wanted to take part in the preliminary voting for the Lithuanian Presidential elections on May 7-9. The people of Kaunas are used to voting in the municipal building. However, due to these exercises, this year the early voting was moved to the premises of Vytautas Didijos University (28 S. Daukanto St.).

There was quite a line there on Tuesday evening around 4pm – it even wound outside.

Will try the curfew

15 minutes reminds that the citizens of Kaunas should not be afraid when they see military personnel with weapons and fortifications near the municipality on Laisvės Avenue – a composite part of national military exercises – “Thunder Bastion 2024” – is scheduled for May 6-8.

The Lithuanian army is currently carrying out an intensive cycle of exercises, during which in Vilnius and Kaunas at night from Tuesday to Wednesday even the curfew will be tested.

After implementing the curfew, the soldiers will train for the first time, this will be done together with volunteer forces, riflemen, military police and police officers.

The curfew will be introduced only in certain parts of Vilnius and Kaunas. From May 7 10 p.m. until the 8th 05 hours In the morning, commandant units, together with the Lithuanian Police, will carry out territory control, object protection, and transport inspection in the territories of Vilnius Viršuliškii and Aukštųių Paneriai and Kaunas Palemons.

Traffic will not be restricted for residents during the exercise, but there will be real checkpoints of the Lithuanian police and commandant units, where passing vehicles can be stopped, documents and other procedures, usual during traffic police raids, will be checked.

Checks on persons moving on foot may also occur. However, the movement of the population will not be restricted during the exercise.

You can also hear gunshots

The municipality of Kaunas announces that the most intensive exercises will take place at strategically important objects in the centro, Petrašiūnai, Eigulių and Aleksots precincts. Soldiers together with state institutions simulate the transition from peacetime to wartime.

The introduction of the curfew aims to evaluate the interaction of different institutions – the army, military police, police, curfew units.

During the curfew in Vilnius and Kaunas, it will also be possible to see certain simulations during which certain violations and diversionary activities will be staged.

Imitation, sound means can also be used – weapons with imitation ammunition that emit the sound of a shot, smoke screens, light signaling means. Residents who heard the gunshots may not be afraid as it is part of an ongoing exercise.

What is special about curfew during wartime?

The curfew is an important instrument in the ongoing military conflict, and it is introduced in the cities of Ukraine, which is fighting against Russia.

Curfew during the war helps to control criminal, subversive, intelligence activities, to ensure seriousness and order in a certain territory.

The only difference between a wartime curfew and an exercise curfew is that in the former case, the movement of civilians is prohibited, except when authorized by the military commandant.