Head of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) Rustamas Liubajevas has announced his resignation.
“I am convinced that, given the current situation, I must make the decision that will be most beneficial for the State Border Guard Service.
Responding to doubts expressed in the public space about the State Border Guard Service and feeling full responsibility for both the institution’s successes and its failures, I have decided to step down from my position,” Liubajevas said.
He added that the most important thing for him was stability within the system and the normal functioning of the service.
The resignation came after an incident in which migrants attacked Lithuanian border guards.
On July 26, border guards attempted to detain migrants who entered Lithuania through a tunnel. However, another 20 people then emerged from the tunnel and freed their companions before fleeing into Belarus. It was later reported that the migrants had attempted to drag a Lithuanian border guard into Belarus. He managed to fight them off but was injured and taken to hospital.
VSAT initially reported only the discovery of the tunnel. After reports of the confrontation appeared in the media, an internal investigation was launched.
