2nd rotation of German troops coming to Lithuania

The second German contingent will include about 450 troops to be deployed in Lithuania for six months, the Defense Ministry told BNS.

The troops will bring eight Leopard 2 A6 tanks, 14 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, as well as Boxer armored vehicles, Fuchs armored transporters and other types of trucks and vehicles.

The Allied battalion in Lithuania will be headed by Lieutenant Colonel Thorsten Gensler, replacing Lieutenant Colonel Christoph Huber in the position.

Laimonas Brazaitis, spokesman for the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, told BNS that the German troops had started coming to Lithuania last week, with the rotation to end in late August.

Earlier this year, NATO stationed international battalions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to deter Russia after its actions in Ukraine and the Baltic Sea region.

The unit stationed in Lithuania includes troops from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Luxembourg.