Germany May Mandate Lithuania Brigade Duty

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has pledged that Germany’s armoured brigade in Lithuania will be fully operational with 4,800 soldiers by the end of 2027, saying he would compel troops to serve on NATO’s eastern flank if not enough volunteers came forward in specialist areas | Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Berlin/Riga: German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has pledged that Germany’s armoured brigade in Lithuania will be fully operational with 4,800 soldiers by the end of 2027, saying he would compel troops to serve on NATO’s eastern flank if not enough volunteers came forward in specialist areas.

Attending the first exercise of the unit in the town of Pabradė, near the border with Belarus, Pistorius stressed that operational readiness was “the highest priority.”

In an ARD television interview before his trip, he had already been specific: it was currently assumed that “90, 95% will probably come voluntarily.”

The stationing of the armoured brigade in Lithuania was pledged by the German government in response to the growing threat from Russia.

It is seen as a central element in strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and is intended to contribute to the deterrence and defence of alliance territory.

The 4,800 soldiers of the combat unit will be supported by 200 civilian staff. Around 1,800 Bundeswehr personnel are currently stationed in Lithuania.

Volunteers on NATO’s Eastern Flank

All soldiers who have gone on the foreign deployment so far have done so voluntarily, Pistorius said.

Shortfalls could arise above all in specialist areas such as engineering, logistics or chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defence, he told ARD, where the pool of potential applicants was significantly smaller than among combat troops.

If voluntary numbers proved insufficient, personnel discussions would take place first. “And if in doubt, a compulsory assignment will then also be issued,” Pistorius said.

Army Inspector Lieutenant General Christian Freuding said in Pabradė that an army did not function solely through voluntary service and that soldiers were accustomed to that.

“We will ensure they receive their mission at the right time and in the right place. And we will be operationally ready by the end of 2027. Full stop,” Freuding said. Lithuania could count on that, he added.

The relocation of the brigade breaks new military ground for the Bundeswehr. Unlike all previous foreign deployments, this involves the permanent stationing of a large formation abroad.

Pistorius and Freuding watched the first exercise of Armoured Brigade 45 on Lithuanian soil in Pabradė, just 20 kilometres from the border with Belarus.

Pistorius observed the combat against enemy units – involving tanks, combat jets and helicopters – from a Boxer wheeled armoured vehicle, wearing a Bundeswehr camouflage jacket, sunglasses and headphones.

Around 2,900 soldiers – including 2,300 from Germany – and around 800 vehicles from eight NATO states were assembled at the Pabradė training ground for the exercise Freedom Shield 2026.

“I am truly impressed,” Pistorius said. The exercise was “a clear signal of our strength and resolve.”

Military Infrastructure Build-Up

The brigade’s main base will be Rudninkai, near the border with Belarus. The barracks will be located in a forested area that was designated a Lithuanian army training ground by special legislation in May 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Around 35 kilometres from the capital Vilnius, an entire military town for the German troops is being built from scratch near the small village. Just around 1.5 kilometres from the centre of the village of 500 inhabitants, barracks, weapons and ammunition depots, logistics areas and hangars for housing and maintaining tanks and other combat vehicles are being constructed.

Work on the largest military infrastructure project in Lithuanian history is in full swing, with the first structures already standing.

The government in Vilnius has repeatedly assured that the infrastructure – financed by the Lithuanian side – will be ready in time for the brigade’s deployment and that it is even several months ahead of schedule.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas stressed after his meeting with Pistorius that Lithuania would do everything necessary to create the required military and civilian infrastructure for German soldiers.

‘Lithuania’s security is our security’

The prospect of around 5,000 Bundeswehr soldiers permanently relocating to Lithuania with their families means a great deal to the people of the Baltic state.

The stationing of the brigade enjoys high approval and widespread goodwill, not only in opinion polls. Its contribution to Lithuania’s security is already mentioned in a Lithuanian school textbook.

The appreciation was also clearly visible at the formation parade in May 2025 on Cathedral Square in Vilnius, where thousands of Lithuanians attended the solemn ceremony, which was also broadcast live on Lithuanian television.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz also took part, and his words on the shared security interests of Germany and its NATO partner were inscribed on the wall of the historic town hall in December 2025: “Lithuania’s security is our security. Protecting Vilnius means protecting Berlin.”