On November 30 through December 3 a team of Russian arms control inspectors are conducting a visit to Lithuania to carry out an inspection of an area specified in advance according to the regulations of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) Vienna Document 2011.
On December 1 the Russian inspectors will conduct a visit to the Lithuanian Armed Forces Mechanized Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf in Rukla to verify the activities carried out there. Then, they will proceed to the Gaižiūnai Military Training Area to learn about the currently ongoing military activity there. carried out there. On December 2 the Russian inspectors will visit the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Šiauliai to carry out a verification flight in a Lithuanian Air Force helicopter over the specified inspection area.
According to the regulations of the Vienna Document 2011 and data collected on the verification visit, Russia will report to other members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on the compliance with endorsed international treaties on arms control witnessed during the inspection in the Republic of Lithuania.
This is the third arms control visit under the Vienna Document 2011 in Lithuania this year. In May, military observers from Russia, Belarus, Finland and Sweden observed field training exercise of the Mechanized Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf, Iron Wolf 2021-I, and in August, a Russian arms control inspector team carried out an evaluation at the Motorized Infantry Brigade Griffin.
The OSCE Vienna Document 2011 commits its signatory countries which Lithuania and Russia are to conduct information exchange on their manpower, planned capability development and defence budgets on an annual basis, and to notify other Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) countries in advance of scheduled military activities of significant scope. The states also commit to accept a designated number of inspections and evaluation visits by other member states’ military inspectors in military units in their territories. Each OSCE member has a right to verify if any other member does not conduct military activities requiring advance notification or does not have undeclared military capabilities, on the basis of regulations of the Vienna Document 2011.
During the verification visit in Lithuania, the Russian arms control inspectors will be provided with the information on the verified unit as committed by the Vienna Document, and view the weaponry and equipment at the unit. They will be able to visit MIB Griffin subdivisions and talk to soldiers to get the grasp about the routine activities conducted there.
