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Germany to Expand Lithuania Tank Brigade to 5,000 Soldiers in Largest Foreign Tank Brigade Since WWII

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Amira Barkhush
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Germany to Expand Lithuania Tank Brigade to 5,000 Soldiers in Largest Foreign Tank Brigade Since WWII
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda with the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz review the honour guards in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 22, 2025, during a visit to attend a ceremony for the 45th Armoured Brigade. (Source: Getty Images)

Germany will significantly reinforce its tank brigade in Lithuania, expanding the unit from 500 to 5,000 troops by the end of 2027 to bolster NATO’s eastern flank and deter Russia, Bloomberg reported on May 22.

The decision comes as part of NATO’s revised defense posture following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and follows months of pressure from Lithuania, a country strategically wedged between Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Kremlin ally Belarus.

According to the outlet, Germany plans to fully establish its first permanently stationed tank brigade abroad since World War II in Lithuania by the end of 2027, deploying up to 5,000 troops on the ground.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius are set to attend the first formation ceremony of the 45th Tank Brigade in downtown Vilnius on May 22.

The move is part of NATO’s broader overhaul of its defense strategy in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The decision followed sustained pressure from Lithuania, a frontline NATO member situated between Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Kremlin-aligned Belarus.

Germany aims to complete the formation of its tank brigade in Lithuania by the end of 2027, with up to 5,000 troops deployed. Around 400 German soldiers are already on the ground. This will be Germany’s first permanently stationed tank brigade abroad since World War II.

German troops have already begun initial training and exercises on Lithuanian soil, with activities set to intensify in the coming months, according to a spokesperson from Germany’s Defense Ministry.

The decision to station a full brigade in Lithuania was made as part of NATO’s revamped defense posture following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It also followed months of pressure from the Lithuanian government, situated between Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus.

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