German armoured brigade holds first military exercises in Lithuania

The new German armoured brigade stationed in Lithuania on Wednesday completed its first live-fire exercise in the Baltic country.

The unit's commander, Brigadier General Christopher Huber, told dpa that the manoeuvres are a "significant step towards combat readiness."

"It is absolutely vital that we prepare for possible future conflict scenarios and combat scenarios, not for the wars of the past," Huber said at the Pabradė military training area, north-east of Vilnius.

"We are of course learning from what we are seeing in Ukraine."

Germany is establishing the permanent brigade in Lithuania, a member of the European Union and NATO, in response to the growing threat from Russia.

The unit was formally commissioned last year and is set to be fully operational by 2027, with a total strength of 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian staff. 

Lithuania borders Russia's Baltic exclave Kaliningrad, as well as Russian ally Belarus.

The main phase of the combat exercise, dubbed "Freedom Shield 2026," began on Wednesday in Pabradė, with the Bundeswehr, Germany's military, deploying more than 300 drones for the exercise.

Around 2,900 soldiers – including some 2,300 from Germany – and around 800 vehicles from eight NATO countries have assembled for the manoeuvres at the military training area, which is located just 15 kilometres from the border with Belarus.