German Defense Minister Pistorius visits German Armed Forces near the border with Belarus
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius landed in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, this morning to observe the training German Armed Forces. Around 2,900 soldiers and more than 300 drones are practicing the defense of NATO's eastern flank during the "Freedom Shield 2026" exercise – about 20 kilometers from the border with Belarus. The training includes combat with and against drones. German Armed Forces training in Lithuania. Around 2,900 soldiers and more than 300 drones are practicing the defense of NATO's eastern flank in Lithuania during the "Freedom Shield 2026" exercise – about 20 kilometers from the border with Belarus. The training includes combat with and against drones. German Armed Forces training in Lithuania. Around 2,900 soldiers and more than 300 drones are practicing the defense of NATO's eastern flank in Lithuania during the "Freedom Shield 2026" exercise – about 20 kilometers from the border with Belarus. The training includes combat with and against drones.
The exercises aim to create the most realistic possible simulation of what a battle on NATO's eastern flank might look like. For the "Freedom Shield 2026" exercise, approximately 2,900 soldiers – including 2,300 from Germany – and around 800 vehicles from eight NATO countries were assembled at the Pabrade training area, located about 20 kilometers from the border with Belarus. Lithuania also borders Kaliningrad, Russia's western militarized exclave on the Baltic coast. The exercise is therefore likely also to be interpreted as a signal to Moscow.
The "Freedom Shield 2026" , which began on June 10, are the first exercises in Lithuania for the newly formed German armoured brigade. Commander, Brigade General Christoph Huber, said at the Pabrade military training area that he believes this exercise to represent a relevant step towards military prowess. “We obviously learn from what we see in Ukraine.” - said Huber. In September 2024 Germany and Lithuania signed an Intergovernmental Defense Agreement , finalized all details of the deployment of the German brigade - including the accommodation of their families and access to education for children. Currently around 1.800 Bundeswehr personnel are stationed in Lithuania. The armored brigade is scheduled to be fully operational as a combat unit by 2027, with a total strength of approximately 4.800 soldiers and 200 civilian employees.