According to the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, roughly 250 Czech troops will be serving within the NATO eFP stationed in Rukla.
The Czech contingent deploying in Lithuania is formed by many different units of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic but the core is provided by the 41th Mechanised Infantry Battalion stationed in the northeastern part of the country. The contingent will deploy with Pandur-II Infantry Fighting Vehicles equipped with 30 mm cannons and Spike anti-armor missiles.
The NATO eFP Battalion Battle Group was deployed in Rukla in 2017 and is led by Germany. Personnel and weapons to the NATO eFP Battle Group are also contributed by Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, and Iceland. In total, the strength of the multinational unit is roughly 1,200.
NATO deployed international battalions in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and its activity in the Baltic Sea region.