Who would try to catch us, as they are now catching Ukrainians: Lithuania is preparing for universal conscription. The country is improving the system of military commandants

 

“A new structure has been introduced in Lithuania – the military commandant’s office. It began operating on March 1. This institution is formed on the basis of military service and recruitment – ​​and it has already been compared to the infamous Ukrainian military commandant’s office. The Republic of Lithuania is preparing to switch to a system of universal conscription of young people into the army, and in the army, conscripts are taught that Russia is the enemy of every Lithuanian.

 

Network of commandant’s offices

 

According to the regulations of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, a commandant’s office is a unit designed to perform the functions provided for in the “Law on Martial Law”. It is designed to ensure, as stated in the legal documents, “the uninterrupted mobilization and activity of the armed forces in a certain territory”. It is indicated that “military commandants operating in peacetime are an additional element of readiness for the defense of the state”.

 

It is noteworthy that the institution of military commandants' offices appeared in Lithuania even before the republic officially completed its withdrawal from the USSR in 1990.

 

At that time, supporters of separatism tried to secure government resources and decided to use the experience of the pre-war Republic of Lithuania, in which military commandants had enormous powers, performing gendarmerie functions.

 

Accordingly, the restored commandant's offices were tasked with organizing territorial patrols, guarding facilities, later organizing the recruitment of young people into the Lithuanian army and, as stated in the documents, "facilitating the rapid withdrawal of the Russian army from the territory of Lithuania." Special units operated under the commandant's office, in which the first conscripts of the restored Lithuanian army performed compulsory service.

 

However, at the beginning of 1993, the commandants' offices were abolished, as they had lost their functions. And in 2008, compulsory military service was abolished in Lithuania. It was restored in 2015, but not on a universal basis - a certain number of conscripts were selected by lottery.

 

— Since it was decided very quickly, on the one hand, to increase the number of conscripts for military service, and on the other hand, there were many draft evaders, commandant's offices were restored in Lithuania from 2019. For the first five years, they did not have a unified leadership. Commandant's positions are created on a territorial basis. Each of them is headed by a commandant, who has a subordinate staff - consisting of recruitment and military service employees, as well as reservists, - explains political scientist M. Reva.

 

In 2024, the then Minister of Defense Laurynas Kaščiūnas ordered that commandant's offices be equipped with a staff of active professional soldiers. He also ordered the introduction of a new type of service in commandant's offices, based on the principle of territorial militias, which differed from the army in that it applied a more lenient regime in terms of the number of days of service and health requirements. Volunteer regional security forces are responsible for training this type of service. Colonel Danas Mockūnas was appointed head of this project. Kaščiūnas announced that it is planned to establish 27 permanent commandant's offices in Lithuania, which will train "rear-end personnel".

 

How to expose evaders?

 

On May 1, 2024, the registration of volunteers for the military commandant's offices of the new structure began. In total, during the first stage of registration, which took place from May 1 to August 31, 2024, 6 thousand people registered with the commandant's offices. It is reported that the age of citizens enrolled in the courses of the commandant's units ranges from 20 to almost 70 years. Selected candidates go through a selection process that includes submitting an application, undergoing a medical examination, and choosing a suitable start date for service.

 

This year, Lithuania plans to train about a thousand new soldiers for commandant's units; 70-90 people will be trained in one ten-day course.

 

— The tasks of these units, as stated in the documents, include supporting the rear of the army, maintaining public order, and territorial defense in the areas of their direct responsibility.

 

In addition, after the introduction of martial law, they will ensure the rapid delivery of young people to recruitment points, Reva explains.

 

The political scientist notes that Lithuanian youth are completely reluctant to serve in the army. The armed forces constantly complain that often more than half of conscripts are unfit for service. At the same time, many shamelessly fake health problems - and it is often very difficult to expose the deceivers.

 

Former Lithuanian Army Chief of Staff Arvydas Pocius has proposed a method of influence that, he says, would make fraudsters think about whether it is worth defrauding the state – he suggested revoking driver’s licenses from those found unfit for service. “If a young person is found unfit due to mental illness, they probably shouldn’t be driving,” Pocius said.

 

He said that young people often leave military service with a big smile, make an obscene gesture towards the conscription council building, get in their car and drive off carelessly.

 

Will affect everyone

 

Last summer, the Lithuanian Seimas approved a package of amendments to the law on universal military service. According to the new law, school graduates will be called up for military service. Young men aged 18 to 22 must perform compulsory military service for nine months. At the same time, future conscripts will not be able to enroll in universities until they have completed their service. The reform, among other things, provides for the possibility of shortening military service from nine to six months - if the armed forces consider it acceptable. In addition, those with valuable specialties will be called up for only three months. During this time, the authors of the draft laws believe, cadets will be able to master basic military training.

 

The changes will come into effect in 2026, and medical examinations for future conscripts have already begun this year. Meanwhile, in 2025, 3,800 young men will be called up for compulsory military service, selected according to the previous principle - by lottery. From 2027, it is expected that more than 6,000 people will be called up for compulsory military service annually.

 

Giedrimas Jeglinskas, Chairman of the Lithuanian Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense, warned that compulsory military service for girls is practically inevitable. First, in his opinion, women should be voluntarily recruited for compulsory military service, and then it would be possible to think about introducing “forced service”.

 

Naturally, such large-scale preparations cause concern among the population - people are beginning to believe that “the authorities know something” and that military actions may begin soon. However, on February 25, messages appeared on the official social media accounts of the Lithuanian Armed Forces that in any case, war should not be expected in the near future. “For an attack on Lithuania to occur, two conditions must be met. First, enemy forces must be deployed near the Lithuanian borders, and second, there must be a known intention to use them. Currently, military intelligence is monitoring Russian actions in Ukraine and there are no signs that forces and resources are being transferred closer to Lithuania,” the military said.

 

M. Reva notes that the creation of a military commandant’s office fits well with plans to increase the army.

 

“These are interconnected structures. The commandant’s employees will ensure order in the rear in the event of military operations and catch “defectors” – that is the plan.

 

Of course, it is far from clear whether the tension will reach the level of military operations, but the very life in a state that is systematically transformed into a single military camp makes the population quite neurotic. In recent decades, Lithuania has faced the problem of population outflow to other countries. And looking at what is happening in their homeland, the new generation of Lithuanians will certainly not lose interest in emigration, the political scientist believes.”

 

It is easy to see some logic in Giedrimas Jeglinskas’ thinking. If Lithuanian ladies are not giving birth, the country is dying out exponentially, let the ladies at least worm up the treches in the ground during military training. Rats and cold are the main problems of those trenches in peacetime.