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How did the Soviet Union respond to Lithuania’s 1990 declaration of independence?

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Map of the Baltic States-Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania-showing country borders, major uplands and plains, highest points, and the capitals Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. Surrounding countries and bodies of water, including Russia, Belarus, Poland, Finland, Sweden, the Baltic Sea, and the Gulf of Finland, are also labeled. — Baltic states The Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Following Lithuania’s declaration of the reestablishment of its independence on March 11, 1990, the Soviet Union responded with a series of measures intended to suppress the movement and reinstate pro-Soviet governance.12

The initial Soviet reaction involved a largely ineffectual economic boycott during the spring and summer of 1990, which included restricting deliveries of oil and gas to the republic. Moscow also formally declared the independence declaration illegal and pursued various strategies to undermine Baltic resolve.12

These efforts culminated in a violent military intervention on January 13, 1991, when Soviet forces occupied the Vilnius television tower, resulting in bloodshed. Despite these actions, Lithuania maintained its path toward sovereignty, and international recognition was ultimately secured following the failure of the hard-line coup attempt in Moscow in August 1991.12