In September, the first soldiers from the German NATO brigade will arrive in Lithuania to strengthen its defense capabilities. “The preliminary date is September 8, but everything could change,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anushauskas told the BNS on Monday, August 22. According to this information, “the main element of the headquarters” is expected to arrive in Lithuania.

The number of brigade – up to 5000 soldiers

After the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the North Atlantic Alliance decided to strengthen defenses on the eastern flank and strengthen existing NATO battle groups at the brigade level. Germany is expected to take command of a brigade in Lithuania of 3,000-5,000 soldiers. Weapons, ammunition and command personnel will be placed there. At the same time, most soldiers will be deployed on standby in Germany.

Since 2017, a NATO battalion of around 1,600 soldiers, led by the Bundeswehr, has been stationed in Lithuania. The number of German soldiers in this battalion exceeds 1,000.

During a visit to Lithuania in early June, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he supported the formation of a “trustworthy combat brigade” to protect NATO’s eastern flank. “As NATO allies, we feel committed to each other and will defend every inch of NATO territory in the event of an attack,” said the head of the German government.