The eastern flank is becoming permanently more militarized.
VILNIUS, Lithuania | June 2026
NATO has launched a major military exercise in Lithuania involving approximately 2,900 soldiers, 800 vehicles and 350 drones near the border with Belarus. The operation, known as Freedom Shield I, is the first large-scale field exercise led by Germany’s Armoured Brigade 45. Its purpose is to test whether allied forces can move, coordinate and fight effectively on NATO’s eastern flank. The deployment reflects the alliance’s transition from temporary reassurance missions toward a more permanent military presence in the Baltic region.
Germany is providing around 2,300 of the participating troops, while personnel from seven other NATO countries are also taking part. The exercise includes Leopard 2A6 battle tanks, Puma infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, mortars and attack helicopters. Heavy equipment was transported to Lithuania by railway and ferry before being moved to the Pabradė training area. That location lies close to Belarus and within a wider security corridor considered critical to NATO’s defense planning.
The maneuvers are designed to simulate combined-arms combat involving armored units, mechanized infantry, drones and indirect fire support. Training begins with the movement of personnel and equipment into the Baltic region before progressing through company-level exercises. It will culminate in a multiday brigade operation using live ammunition. Commanders will evaluate how effectively different units exchange information, respond to threats and operate under battlefield pressure.
The deployment carries particular significance because Belarus has become one of Russia’s closest military partners. Minsk allowed Russian forces to use Belarusian territory during the initial invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and continues to support Moscow through logistics, exercises and defense cooperation. Russian military infrastructure and nuclear-capable systems have also been positioned in Belarus. NATO therefore views the border not only as a national Lithuanian frontier, but as part of a wider line of potential confrontation with Russia.
The exercise includes Germany’s 203rd Tank Battalion from Augustdorf and the 122nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion from Oberviechtach. NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Lithuania is also participating and is expected eventually to come under the command of Armoured Brigade 45. The German Army’s combat training center is supporting the operation and evaluating battlefield performance. These units form the foundation of a larger force that Berlin plans to maintain in Lithuania permanently.
Germany is creating its first complete combat brigade stationed permanently outside its national territory. The formation is expected to grow to around 4,800 soldiers by 2027, supported by civilian personnel and local infrastructure. About 500 German troops are already stationed permanently in Lithuania, while the force is scheduled to expand in stages. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has described 2026 as a particularly intensive year for German military exercises in the country.
The brigade represents a major change in Germany’s post-Cold War defense posture. For decades, German forces deployed abroad mainly through temporary rotations, peacekeeping missions or limited multinational commitments. The Lithuanian brigade requires soldiers and families to relocate for longer periods while Germany establishes permanent command, maintenance and logistical systems. It also signals that Berlin accepts greater responsibility for defending NATO territory close to Russia.
Lithuania is building new facilities to accommodate the expanding force. The Rūdninkai Military Town, located near the Belarusian border, is being designed to house up to 3,000 soldiers. Construction includes barracks, training areas, storage facilities, maintenance sites and other military infrastructure. The complex is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
Additional units will eventually operate from Rūdninkai and Rukla once the necessary infrastructure is ready. Lithuanian authorities are responsible for completing much of the construction while Germany organizes the personnel and equipment. Pistorius has praised Lithuania for the speed and reliability of the preparations. The project illustrates how host nations and contributing allies must coordinate beyond military training to sustain permanent deterrence.
Leopard tanks are among the most visible elements of the deployment. The Leopard 2A6 combines advanced armor, mobility and a 120-millimeter main gun designed for high-intensity conventional warfare. Its presence demonstrates that the brigade is intended to fight as a heavy combat formation rather than serve only as a symbolic tripwire. Puma infantry fighting vehicles provide armored protection and mobility for troops operating alongside the tanks.
Drones also play a major role in Freedom Shield I. Around 350 unmanned systems are being used for reconnaissance, surveillance and battlefield coordination. Their inclusion reflects lessons from the war in Ukraine, where drones have become central to locating targets, directing artillery and monitoring troop movements. NATO forces are increasingly training to operate in environments where the sky is filled with both friendly and hostile unmanned aircraft.
The exercise will also test the alliance’s ability to manage electronic warfare and rapidly changing information. Modern armored formations can become vulnerable if their communications are disrupted or their positions are detected by drones. Coordination between tanks, infantry, artillery and air support must therefore occur while units protect their digital and electromagnetic signatures. Freedom Shield I is intended to assess whether NATO’s operational procedures can function under those conditions.
The location of the exercise adds strategic weight to the training. Lithuania sits between Belarus, Russia’s Kaliningrad region, Latvia and Poland. The narrow land connection between Poland and Lithuania is often described as one of NATO’s most sensitive defensive areas because it links the Baltic states with the rest of the alliance. A conflict in the region could place enormous pressure on transport routes, reinforcements and supply networks.
NATO describes the deployment as defensive and says it is designed to prevent aggression through credible readiness. The alliance argues that permanent forces reduce the possibility of miscalculation by demonstrating that an attack on Lithuania would immediately involve troops from several member states. Russia and Belarus are likely to portray the same activity as evidence of NATO militarization near their borders. This opposing interpretation has become a central feature of European security since the invasion of Ukraine.
Freedom Shield I is planned as the beginning of a recurring exercise series. Armoured Brigade 45 will be expected to demonstrate operational readiness twice each year as it moves toward full deployment. Regular testing will allow commanders to identify logistical weaknesses, improve multinational coordination and adapt tactics to emerging threats. The brigade must prove that it can function not simply as a collection of units, but as an integrated combat force.
The exercise therefore extends far beyond the movement of Leopard tanks near Belarus. It represents Germany’s effort to build a permanent forward defense structure, Lithuania’s investment in hosting a major allied force and NATO’s response to a transformed security environment. The alliance is preparing for the possibility of high-intensity conflict while insisting that the objective is deterrence. On Europe’s eastern frontier, military readiness is no longer temporary, but increasingly embedded in the landscape.
Security is measured before the crisis. / La seguridad se mide antes de la crisis.