Lithuania will purchase 197 stationary acoustic warning sirens, the Fire and Rescue Department reported on June 13.
Sirens would be installed in the 100-kilometre potential impact zone of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Astravyets, it said in a press release.
The zone will include the municipalities Anyksciai, Ignalina, Jonava, Kaisiadorys, Moletai, Salcininkai, Sirvintos, Svencionys, Trakai, Ukmerge, Utena, Varena, Vilnius District, Visaginas, Zarasai, Vilnius City and Elektrenai.
The implementation of the project would allow warning more than 800,000 people about potential threats using sirens in 17 Lithuanian municipalities, the department said.
The department also intends to purchase the required control equipment.
Purchases of the new sirens and accompanying equipment will be financed from EU and Norwegian Financial Mechanism funds.
Belarus launched the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant in June 2021 despite Lithuania’s protestations. Vilnius maintains that the facility – which is built close to the Lithuanian border and merely 40 kilometres from the country’s capital and largest city – represents a safety hazard and fails to observe international regulations. (LRT/Business World Magazine)