Bundeswehr stations first brigade in Lithuania: A new defense contribution!

Bundeswehr stations first brigade in Lithuania: A new defense contribution!

On May 22, 2025 it will be official: The Bundeswehr will put a new brigade into service in Lithuania. This brigade represents the first permanent deployment of a Bundeswehr troop unit abroad. This measure is in response to the increasing threat from Russia on NATO's eastern flank. Currently, around 400 soldiers from the brigade are already stationed in Lithuania, but the brigade is expected to be fully operational by 2027 with a permanent presence of up to 5,000 soldiers.

The brigade's main base will be in Rudninkai, near the border with Belarus, where a new barracks with a military training area will be built. Until these barracks are completed, there are interim solutions in existing Lithuanian barracks, particularly near Vilnius. In order to promote the integration of soldiers and their families, schools and kindergartens are being built in the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas.

Strategic importance for NATO

Lithuania's strategic location is particularly sensitive as the country borders Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Between Lithuania and Poland lies the Suwalki Gap, a crucial NATO corridor that Russia could block in the event of a confrontation. Lithuania has a population of 2.8 million and an army of currently 15,000 soldiers, but plans to increase this to 17,000 to 18,000 soldiers by 2030. The country intends to spend 5 to 6 percent of its GDP on defense, with the war in Ukraine perceived as a direct threat to national security.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized the importance of the defense readiness of the alliance territory. Germany and Lithuania have signed a roadmap to achieve full operational readiness of the brigade, which consists of two combat battalions from Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia. A third battalion will be part of the multinational NATO battle group (eFP). The brigade will also include other specialized units such as logisticians, medical soldiers, communications experts and administrative staff.

Family-friendly conditions for soldiers

Pistorius described the permanent stationing of troops in Lithuania as “new territory for the Bundeswehr” and underlined the changed security situation, which has radically changed as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Conditions should be created on site for the soldiers to enable them to bring their families with them and find suitable housing. In addition, Germany plans to set up Bundeswehr schools and German-speaking childcare facilities in Lithuania.

These developments show how seriously Germany and NATO are taking the security situation on the alliance's eastern flank. Lithuania sees the stationing of the Bundeswehr as a clear reassurance of NATO's obligation to provide assistance. The measures are in line with the strategic goal of stabilizing and strengthening the defense situation in the region. You can find out more about this at Deutschlandfunk and daily news.