Germany deploys thousands of troops to the Belarus border, Bild reports
Photo: German soldiers (Getty Images)
Germany will deploy nearly 5,000 troops in Lithuania to defend NATO’s eastern flank. They will be stationed near the border with Belarus on a permanent basis, stated Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas, according to Bild.
According to the plan, Germany will deploy a full military brigade of around 5,000 soldiers there by the end of 2027.
Kaunas said the development of military infrastructure is already about ten months ahead of schedule. Residential districts, schools, kindergartens, and medical facilities are being actively built where forests once stood.
Defense readiness
The Lithuanian defense minister stressed that the German brigade, under the command of General Christian Huber, is critically important for deterring aggression on NATO’s eastern flank.
"We can assume that Germany and Lithuania will be ready by the end of 2027 in any case, if not earlier. The brigade will be fully equipped and ready," Kaunas said.
He called the deployment of these forces in Lithuania a "milestone in relations" between the two countries.
German troops in Lithuania
Around 1,800 German soldiers are currently stationed in Lithuania. In June, they are conducting exercises in Pabradė, located 20 kilometers from the Belarusian border.
During these exercises, the 45th Armored Brigade, under the name Freedom Shield, is working alongside the 203rd Tank Battalion from Augustdorf and units of the 122nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion from Oberviechtach. These two battalions are expected to relocate to Lithuania in 2027.
Ukraine is strengthening its defenses along its northern border amid concerns that Russia may draw Belarus into the war. In particular, fortifications are being reinforced, and surveillance of troop and drone activity near the border is being increased.
Minsk allowed Moscow to use its territory for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Belarus regularly provides Russia with infrastructure and logistical support, although Lukashenko has repeatedly insisted that its army will not take direct part in combat operations.
