Regarding the fence at the border, there are more questions than answers: why is the concert really fenced only a few kilometers?

The product, created in the middle of the last century, sounds a bit ridiculous; Due to its resemblance to a musical instrument, similar to a harmonica, the concertina currently used on the border is not intended for music.

Not for nothing is the concert called “barbed wire”, it would literally mean “barbed wire”. Instead of needles, it has sharp knives or tin teeth like pocket knives; They not only pierce, but also cut, putting a person caught in such a cable at risk of serious injury.

Experts point out that this is not a panacea for the unbridled flow of migrants: an attempt is made to climb over and across a cable that has been laid quickly and infrequently. There are different types of concerts in themselves: the specifications do not differ only from each other, but each type has its own function.

The Lithuanian army, which was the first to respond to the need for a concert on the border and solemnly showed how it was built in front of the cameras, has already used the reserve: 4.5 km of cable have been laid, but after using it . in several layers, the concert barrier is only a few kilometers long. And to cut a wall with such a cutting wire it would take more.

The Interior Ministry indicates a figure: 550 km from the 679 km border with Belarus, although concerts are needed to cover the most vulnerable sections. But even in this case, it means that the need for a concert is not a few, not a few tens, but hundreds of kilometers. Where do they get it from? The responsible authorities have many excuses.

Foreign aid will not be enough

The situation does not appear to be entirely tragic: Delfi has already announced that Estonia has offered to help with the installation of a physical barrier on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border – and one of the countries that has sent the most aid to the migration crisis is consignment. than 100 km of concerts to Lithuania.

“Lithuania is our closest ally, so our task is to help immediately when the country is in crisis. Also, as of August 1, Estonia is ready to send three drone crews to help monitor the border. Lithuanian, ”Estonian National Defense Minister Kalle Laanet said in the statement.

“The acquisition of the concert is underway, really the process related to the supply, it does not stop. Apparently, 100 kilometers of concerts from Estonia will arrive tomorrow morning. I am very grateful to the Estonians. Apparently, those bilateral relations and that Bilateral contact is giving results, ”Interior Minister Agnė Bilotait also assured reporters on Monday.

Additionally, Deputy Interior Minister Arnold Abramavičius said additional amounts of wire were being sought “through bilateral assistance,” and several countries discussed the possibility of buying a concert or receiving gifts, including Denmark and Slovenia.

It’s not as simple as it may seem at first glance: Poland, which has been closely following the migration crisis, may have been one of the providers of such a cable, but concerned about its even longer border protection, Poland itself ordered additional quantities. for the concert.

In Lithuania, the concert reservations reserved for the army, as stated by the Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas on his Facebook account, have already been used – 4.5 km.

It is true that he looked at Delfi without saying anything to exploit everybody Army Reserves: the army was simply the first to respond to the request of the Interior Ministry, which did not have its own reserves. Actual figures cannot be disclosed.

In addition, according to the minister, now it is important to focus not on those few kilometers, but on the works; the Interior Ministry is especially expected to help the army more, although according to the ministry, the army will. take care of the concert until mid-August. Subsequently, following the contracting procedures, a private provider.

The Minister noted that military units have their own concert reserves for operational needs. In fact, in terms of public procurement, in recent years, military units, particularly the Battalions of the Mechanized Iron Wolf Brigade, have been making low-value acquisitions at a cost of tens of thousands of euros through simplified public procurement.

Last July, the Air Force bought about 200 units. Roll concerts. During previous purchases, smaller quantities can be seen in the Air Defense Battalion and Vaidotas Battalion, up to 90 units. rolls. One of these rolls is between 600mm and 980mm in diameter and one roll is between 13 and 15 meters long. Understandably, the amounts the army had to cover the needs of the frontier were not and would not be enough. But not for some army units and bought a concert.

“The stocks of the engineering barrier were accumulated according to military need, not for the construction of the border fence,” noted A. Anušauskas. However, the need is already there, and another Deputy Minister of the Interior, Vitaly Dmitrijev, has already assured that “in the near future it is planned to buy another 20 km of concerts.”

Who is the “in the near future” and why it is only about 20 km when the demand is higher, the Ministry of the Interior does not specify. The MIA representative, Lina Laurinaitytė-Grigienė, assured that there are many offers, all suppliers can participate, despite the fact that now there is a great need for a concert and the situation with the offer is difficult, a tender for Low value. the ministry is trying to speed up the paperwork.

In a comment sent to the Interior Ministry to Delfi’s questions, he clarified that an acquisition is currently underway and two more acquisitions will be announced in the near future. 980 mm diameter wire will be purchased. And although the country of origin is irrelevant, it is necessary to have a certificate from the European Union.

“In the initial stage, it is planned to buy a concert hall, which could cover the most vulnerable border stretch of 95 kilometers. 4.8 million were allocated from the Government Reserve for the installation of the physical barrier. – emphasized the representative of the minister, adding that a total of 41 million euros has been allocated to guarantee the protection of the Lithuanian-Belarusian border: the construction of fences and the construction of a concert. euros. It is true that the terms “will depend on the speed with which the recruitment procedures are carried out”.

I reserved thousands of rolls and then it disappeared

But another strange detail has come to light. Delfi is interested in giving concerts with companies operating in Lithuania, which already have many years of experience in supplying this cutting wire to the army and other institutions under contracts, on July 8 Giedrius Taraškevičius, the director of a company, presented a written offer the SBGS. It was then that soldiers on the border began to build barriers in their concert hall.

“I got angry when I said I was missing a concert, when I still have a thousand rolls in stock, I can unload different diameters. 980 mm is the most efficient, “said Delfi G. Taraškevičius, who also showed the offer.

He wonders if it is necessary to “cut wire produced in Europe and with European certificates (instead of those produced in third countries and not certified in Europe)”. The head of the company assured that the warehouse can deliver between 3 and 6 thousand. units for the installation of concert rolls, that is, barriers 45-90 km long, suggested sharing “available information on the implementation of similar projects, provide examples.”

“He responded to this offer, asked about supply options, price. We answered all questions on the morning of July 9. 6,000 were booked, then 10,000 concert rolls (when capturing 3 bands, a pyramid can block 50 km of the And that’s it. On Monday, July 12, no need was discussed and our question about reserved merchandise was not heard, “said the head of the company.

According to him, “something happened in the government” and the MIA economics and property management department that booked the concert simply “disappeared”, although it was promised that the company could provide 2 km of cable per week. The interlocutor also drew attention to the subtleties of cable production and construction.

“The most important thing is the height, the 98 cm diameter wire is the most efficient, the standard of certified European manufacturers is 14-15 meters (one spiral), which is different from Chinese manufacturers, whose length is only 12 meters. And the most important thing is how the roll is put: it is not made to tie everything.

Normal practice is three rolls, two on the bottom, one on top, and this is the minimum option, ”said the interlocutor. In his opinion, a gig that is properly fixed and fixed every three meters with stakes will not be overcome so easily: when pressed on three levels, it will not rise easily and can be easily injured. In addition, it is an element of deterrence and dissuasion that is effective with the use of surveillance systems: while trying to overcome the concert, it is possible that a patrol already arrives at the place.

When asked to comment on this situation, the MIA representative could not confirm or deny that the Ministry did not respond to requests for reservations, but assured that all acquisitions are in accordance with the Public Procurement Law and that all companies Proposals can participate with the required and eligible assets.