OSTROVETS DISTRICT, 10 November (BelTA) - The Lithuanian authorities have completely lost their minds, the owner of a Lithuanian transport company by the name Virginius told BelTA at the Kotlovka checkpoint as he commented on the situation at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border.
“They closed the border. We are waiting for some information, for the Lithuanians to open it. The politicians are waging war, while we, ordinary people are suffering. After all, no one asks if you have food on the table or if you have money,” Virginius said. He emphasized that each day of such downtime is a blow to their finances. “We'll end up leaving our trucks here,” the Lithuanian added.
The man noted that people are confused and frustrated over the situation. “We told Linava [the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association] that we need to block the roads or do something else. They don't listen. We're standing here like sheep," he said.
Virginius lives in Vilnius. “It's just 30 km across the border. Today you have to go through Latvia, making it 600 km. You need to get back home? Good luck to you... It's not the authorities who are suffering, but ordinary people. That's the worst part,” he remarked.
“My country Lithuania, the authorities have completely lost their minds. They have some kind of interests of their own. We don't understand what they're thinking,” the man said. “Until there's a rebellion (like when our farmers came and blocked the roads with tractors), until people come and block things, they don't use their brains. They move to act only when there's trouble. But as long as it's quiet like this, then we just have to endure it 'you knew where you were going.'" The Lithuanian added: “They do not care how people earn a living or that not everyone can just go to Europe. So this is what happens.”
On 29 October 2025 the government of the Republic of Lithuania adopted a resolution restricting and suspending traffic across the state border of the Republic of Lithuania. The document imposed restrictions on the movement of individuals and vehicles through the Medininkai (Kamenny Log) checkpoint until 1.00 Belarusian time on 1 December. The processing of individuals and vehicles at the Lithuanian Šalčininkai (Benyakoni) checkpoint has been completely suspended.
On 10 November the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the border situation. It said that Lithuanian trucks accumulated on the approaches to the Kamenny Log and Benyakoni checkpoints will be moved to the designated parking areas near Kotlovka for their safety and security.
In a move to manage freight traffic, Belarus’ State Border Committee temporarily suspended the exit of all trucks with Lithuanian plates as from 9.00 in the morning on 10 November. The border service is monitoring the situation and stands ready to respond to any changes.
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