As the Ministry of National Defense (KAM) announced on Wednesday, more than 20 soldiers will form the primary management group of the headquarters of the 45th “Lietuva” brigade. Alfonsas Mais, the commander of the German ground forces, also arrives with them.
The first soldiers arriving in Lithuania will settle in Vilnius and will be responsible for planning the brigade’s transfer to Lithuania and coordinating the requirements for military infrastructure.
By the end of the year, the expanded primary element of the headquarters will also be responsible for assisting in the relocation of German troops.
Germany is committed to deploying a heavy brigade in Lithuania with three maneuver battalions and all necessary enablers, including combat support and supply units.
The brigade will consist of existing and newly formed units. The 203rd tank battalion from North Rhine-Westphalia and the 122nd armored infantry battalion from Bavaria will be transferred to Lithuania. The combat group of the forward forces currently in Lithuania will be reformed into a multinational battalion and will become an integral part of the brigade.
It is expected that a total of about 5 thousand people will move to Lithuania. German brigade soldiers and civilians, some of them will come with their families.
There will be two places of service – Rūdninkai and Rukla, soldiers and their families will live in Vilnius and Kaunas, additionally logistic points will be created in other parts of Lithuania.
The deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania started to be discussed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany announced a concrete commitment to this last June. This is aimed at strengthening the security of Lithuania and the entire eastern wing of NATO.
Source: BNS
