Operation Vesna (transl. Operation Spring; Russian: Опера́ция «Весна́») was a mass deportation of the armed opposition to the Soviet power in the occupied Lithuania carried out by the forces of the Ministry of State Security (MGB) on May 22–24, 1948.
According to the February 21, 1948 decree № 417—160сс of the USSR Council of Ministers, deportations were to target the "forest brothers" (Lithuanian: miško broliai), members of their families, and "various helpers of anti-Soviet partisans, including kulaks." The official tally of the deported was 49,331 (other sources give the number 39,766[1] and 47,534[2]). In addition to ethnic Lithuanians, Poles and Belarusians were deported as well. The exact numbers by ethnicity are unknown. Their official status was "special settlers" (severely restricted in movement, but otherwise officially not deprived of other citizen's rights).[3][2][4] It was the largest Soviet deportation from Lithuania.[5]