Lithuania begins construction of military base for German troops near border with Belarus
Construction has begun in Lithuania on a military base that will station up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops by the end of 2027. This will be the first permanent deployment of German troops in Europe since World War II.
This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to Reuters.
As noted, last year Germany pledged to deploy troops in a NATO and EU member state bordering Russia.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius compared this decision to the deployment of allied troops in West Germany during the Cold War to protect Western Europe in the event of a Soviet attack.
The base will be built in Rudninkai, near the capital Vilnius and just 20 km from Belarus. It is planned to accommodate up to 4,000 troops, storage and maintenance facilities for tanks and other equipment, and firing ranges of all sizes.
Another 1,000 German military and civilian contractors will be deployed at other sites in Lithuania.
The new military infrastructure will include 120 buildings, helipads, training grounds, footholds, more than 10 km of internal roads, etc. According to the contract, the base will be transferred to the German brigade for use for three years.
