Nato’s ‘achilles heel’: alliance conducts war games in nervous Lithuania

Baltic nation is calling for increased military presence in response to Russian invasion of Ukraine

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

About 30km west of the Belarusian border, the enemy's tanks were rolling through the pine forests of Lithuania at speed until a makeshift obstacle made of barbed wire blocked their path. Soldiers carrying bolt cutters jumped out of the armoured vehicle at the front to clear the road.

Then, a deafening bang. In its rush to victory, the advancing party had neglected to check the sandy terrain underneath the roadblock for mines. Luckily, for them, this was merely a dress rehearsal for a showdown between Russia and the North Atlantic alliance.