Suwalki gap gateway?
This is the region NATO fears most
By Kevin Schulte
March 5, 2024, 3:39 p.m
NATO rehearses crossing the Vistula in Poland. For good reason: From here it is less than 300 kilometers to the “most dangerous place in the world”, the possible gateway for Russia into NATO territory.
Military vehicles fold out pontoons and, in just a few minutes, connect to form ferries on which battle tanks then cross the Vistula: This week, NATO is rehearsing the crossing of Poland’s longest and widest river. The Vistula crossing near Korzeniewo is part of the four-month-long exercise “Steadfest Defender,” for which around 90,000 NATO soldiers were mobilized. The exercises will take place along the eastern flank of the defense alliance, from Norway to Romania.
The Vistula sample is also so important because the “most dangerous place in the world” is less than 300 kilometers from Korzeniewo. That’s what it was called two years ago US magazine “Politico” the Suwalki Gap, Russia’s possible gateway for an attack on NATO. Military experts describe the narrow corridor as an Achilles heel for the defense alliance. This is where the Western world meets the Russian sphere of influence.
NATO’s weak point
The Suwalki Gap separates Belarus from the westernmost tip of Russia: Kaliningrad. And it is the only land connection between Poland and the Baltic states. The border here is only 100 kilometers long, 65 kilometers as the crow flies from the easternmost tip of Kaliningrad to the northwesternmost point of Belarus, which is loyal to Moscow.
Within just 30 to 60 hours, Russia could invade the Suwalki Corridor with troops from the east and west and seal off the land connection, military experts fear. In such a scenario, the Baltics would be cut off from its NATO allies in Europe, and Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia would only be accessible via the Baltic Sea and from the air. The Suwalki Gap is NATO’s geographical weak point. This is where the danger of military escalation between Russia and NATO is greatest.
Bunker construction in the Baltics
The Baltics are aware of the potential threat from Russia. In Lithuania, for example, more than 3,300 shelters have been created since 2022, for example in schools. In an emergency, they offer temporary shelter “for more than 900,000 people, which corresponds to almost a third of our country’s inhabitants,” said Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite recently.
Together with Latvia and Estonia, Lithuania is also building a close-knit defense network along the border with Russia. 600 bunkers are to be built in order to be prepared in the event of a Russian attack.
The German Bundeswehr also wants to increase its presence in the region. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced last year that he would station a permanent brigade with up to 5,000 soldiers in Lithuania. This should be fully operational in 2027 and help make the Suwalki Gap less dangerous.