Lithuania has formally inaugurated its new military division in Ukmergė, placing the Iron Wolf and Žemaitija infantry brigades and the Juozas Vitkus Engineering Battalion under its command.
"Recent exercises in Germany clearly demonstrated that the Lithuanian national division headquarters has reached initial operational capability. This means we are now able to independently plan and execute operations, integrate division enablers, and operate alongside allies within a corps structure," Chief of Defence Raimundas Vaikšnoras said at the ceremony.
"Today, by incorporating both brigades into the division, we are moving from fragmented capabilities to a unified combat power," he added.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces said the unit will continue to grow. The 1st Division will eventually incorporate the newly formed Aukštaitija brigade, as well as air defence, artillery, and engineering regiments.
Existing brigades will also be reinforced with tank and infantry fighting vehicle battalions – developments officials say will give the Lithuanian military significantly superior warfighting capabilities compared with previous structures.
The 1st division's commander, Aurelijus Alasauskas, said personnel had been sharpening their skills through joint training with American and German divisions.
"We possess the necessary military knowledge and skills to continue our work. We are ready to receive and operate newly acquired weaponry, equipment, and technologies – from unmanned systems to tools that strengthen our firepower and battle management," he said.
Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the full integration of the Lithuanian 1st Division into NATO's Multinational Corps Northeast military unit, headquartered in Poland, sent a clear message to potential adversaries that Lithuania is both determined and capable of defending its territory and contributing to regional security.
The 1st Division was established last year with a target of reaching full operational capacity by 2030. It will ultimately comprise around 20,000 troops across three Land Force brigades – Iron Wolf, Žemaitija, and Aukštaitija – together with artillery and engineering regiments and an intelligence battalion.
The division has been established as a deterrent against Russia, which has been waging a full-scale invasion of Ukraine for more than two years.
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