The first troops of Germany’s brigade assigned to Lithuania are expected to arrive in Vilnius next week, the Lithuanian Defence Ministry said.
Alfons Mais, Chief of the German Army, is expected to come to Lithuania together with the brigade’s initial command element comprising over 20 military personnel.
The first troops “will be accommodated in Vilnius from where they will plan the further progress of the stationing and agreement of requirements set for Host Nation infrastructure”, the ministry said on Wednesday.
“The initial command element will increase in size by the end of the year and become responsible for the assistance in moving the rest of the Brigade to Lithuania.”
Germany has committed to deploying a heavy brigade with three manoeuvre battalions and all necessary enablers, including combat support units.
The brigade will be formed by existing and newly formed units. The 203rd Panzer Battalion based in North Rhine-Westphalia and the 122nd Armored Infantry Battalion currently based in Bavaria will be moved to Lithuania.
The enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group stationed in Lithuania will be transformed into a multinational battalion and become an integral part of the brigade.
In total, around 5,000 military and civilian personnel are expected to be moved to Lithuania. Some of them will come with families.
The brigade will be stationed in Rūdninkai and Rukla, with logistical hubs to be additionally set up in other locations in Lithuania. The troops and their families will be accommodated in Vilnius and Kaunas.
Discussions on the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania started after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Berlin announced its concrete commitment last June. The aim is to beef up the security of Lithuania as part of NATO’s eastern flank.
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