About 1,700 troops from a German brigade are currently serving in Lithuania, with the number expected to exceed 2,000 by the end of the year, the Lithuanian Defence Ministry said Friday.
According to the ministry, 71 families of German soldiers and 133 children are also living in the country.
“The transfer of the German brigade to Lithuania is proceeding smoothly according to the action plan, in line with mutual commitments and agreed deadlines,” Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said in a statement.
“Today the strongest signal of deterrence to Russia is very clear – German soldiers are already in Lithuania and their numbers are steadily increasing,” he added.
Kaunas said Lithuania has repeatedly received assurances that Germany remains committed to the deployment regardless of external circumstances.
“For our part, we are doing everything to ensure that allied troops and their families are welcomed smoothly and on time,” he said.
To ensure schooling for the children of incoming German troops, Lithuania plans to complete the renovation of facilities at the Lithuanian Centre for the Education of the Blind and Visually Impaired by early September. The premises will host students in grades five through 11.
Temporary German-language preschool groups for up to 80 children are also planned in Kaunas starting in mid-year.
A German school for the children of soldiers, Deutsche Schule Vilnius, began operating last September and currently serves about 20 students. German-language preschool and pre-primary groups attended by about 30 children are also operating nearby in modular buildings next to the education centre.
The ministry said efforts are also made to strengthen health care services for German troops.
A primary-level military medical centre is planned for 2027–2028 to provide services such as family medicine and dental care for brigade personnel. More specialised medical services will continue to be provided by Lithuania’s civilian health institutions, which also serve the brigade’s civilian staff and family members.
Transportation links between troops in Lithuania and their relatives in Germany are also being improved. Additional flights to Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne and Dortmund are planned this summer.
Lithuania is also planning to build an additional railway line from Jašiūnai to the military base in Rūdninkai training area in cooperation with the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Communications and rail infrastructure manager LTG Infra.
The railway will allow the transport of both heavy military equipment and passengers, strengthening the operational capabilities of the base and improving soldiers’ access to their place of service, the ministry said.
Berlin plans to deploy a brigade of about 5,000 troops in Lithuania by the end of 2027. The brigade will also include the multinational NATO battlegroup.
Most of the brigade will be stationed at the Rūdninkai training area in the Šalčininkai District, while engineering and reconnaissance units are planned to be deployed in Rukla in the Jonava District.
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