German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is to travel to Lithuania on Monday to observe the first exercise of the Bundeswehr's Armoured Brigade 45, Germany's permanently deployed combat brigade in the Baltic state.
The "Freedom Shield 2026" exercise at the Pabrade training area, about 20 kilometres from the Belarus border, involves around 2,900 troops and 800 military vehicles from eight NATO countries. About 2,300 of the soldiers are from Germany.
Berlin pledged to station the brigade in Lithuania in response to what it sees as a growing threat from Russia. The unit is due to reach full operational capability by 2027 with about 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian staff. Around 1,800 Bundeswehr personnel are currently stationed in Lithuania.
The deployment marks new territory for the German military, representing its first permanent stationing of a major combat formation abroad.
Germany aims to fill most brigade positions with volunteers and has sought to attract personnel by offering information trips to Lithuania. However, recruitment has progressed more slowly than hoped.
Pistorius said on Sunday that compulsory assignments could become necessary if volunteer numbers prove insufficient, though he told broadcaster ARD that he expected most positions in the brigade to be filled by volunteers.
Shortages could emerge particularly in specialist fields such as engineering, logistics and nuclear, biological and chemical defence, where the pool of qualified personnel is smaller than for combat units.
