German brigade enters service in Lithuania on NATO's eastern flank
A German brigade deployed on NATO's eastern flank in Lithuania formally entered service on Tuesday.
The 45 Armoured Brigade of the German Army became operational following an activation ceremony in Vilnius.
"We have a clear mission," said the unit's leader, Brigadier General Christoph Huber. "We have to ensure the protection, freedom and security of our Lithuanian allies here on NATO's eastern flank."
In response to the renewed threat from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the German government pledged to permanently station a brigade of up to 5,000 soldiers in Lithuania, a member of both the European Union and NATO.
The first troops were deployed in 2024 and the unit is expected to reach full operating capability in 2027.
It is to be based in a barracks due to be constructed at a military training area in Rūdninkai, close to the Lithuanian border to Belarus.
Under Huber's leadership, around 150 members of the German military are currently serving in Lithuania. The number is expected to rise to around 500 by the end of the year.
Lithuania borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia's close ally Belarus. The war in Ukraine is seen as a direct threat to national security in the Baltic States.
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