The man was detained in the Pagėgiai municipality on Thursday around 1:50 PM. According to the border service, he crossed the border via the Neman River, arriving from the Kaliningrad region. After his detention, the Russian was interrogated. VSAT representative Gediminas Mišutis reported that a pre-trial investigation into the incident had not yet been initiated at that time. The first report of the incident came from the Lrytas portal. Lithuania's Minister of the Interior, Martinas Katylinas, informed the publication that the man requested political asylum, but a decision was made to return him to Russia. The border service explained that the man was deemed not permitted entry into Lithuania and the return procedure was applied to him, similar to that used for individuals denied entry from Belarus. "There was no information about any danger threatening him, special status, or possible acceptance into the European Union. He does not fall into the category of vulnerable persons," Mišutis explained. As a result, it was decided not to allow the Russian man entry into Lithuania. After 7:00 PM that same day, he was returned to Russia through the Panemunė border crossing. Before his return, border guards checked the man's health condition and provided him with dry clothing.
