Bundeswehr armor late: Soldiers ready for Lithuania use!

Bundeswehr armor late: Soldiers ready for Lithuania use!

Pasewalk, Deutschland - On August 6th, the Panzergrenadier Battalion 411 from Viereck near Pasewalk takes the command of the multinational military unit in Lithuania. This unit, which is made up of around 350 soldiers from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, is stationed in Rukla, where the 18th rotation of NATO Multinational Battleroup begins. The nnn since 2017 has been part of the defense of the northeastern flank of NATO since 2017 serves.

Lieutenant colonel Tobias Tiedau will lead the Panzergrenadier Battalion 411. In the past twelve months, the soldiers have prepared intensively for the use, which will take place over 1000 kilometers away in Rukla. The first steps to move have already been taken in Torgelow-Dröheide, where around 20 Schützer Type Marder and other military vehicles were available for loading.

delayed processes

The transport of the vehicles came with some obstacles. The train that is supposed to bring the tanks to Lithuania had a delay of about an hour and a half. Despite this delay, the loading of the rifle armor went smoothly and lasted about half an hour, as loading officer Hauptmann David announced. He commented satisfied with the loading process and luckily could not report any events or injuries.

NATO Multinational BattleGroup Lithuania has a total of around 1,200 soldiers and is run by the German Bundeswehr. In Lithuania since August 2017, this unit is part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP), which not only contributes to strengthening the Baltic countries and Poland, but also serves as a deterrent against Russia. The association rotates every six months to avoid permanent stationing that Russia would see as a provocation. This represents a very sensitive topic, especially since Russia's raid on Ukraine, through which Germany no longer feels bound to the 1997 NATO Russia.

The military listing and cooperation

in Rukla are also international partner troops stationed that use various vehicles. In addition to the German GTK boxers and transport armor Fuchs, this also includes rifle tanks such as the CV90 and combat tanks such as the Leclerc. The commander of the first rotation was Lieutenant Colonel Christoph Huber, followed by several successors, including Lieutenant Colonel Thorsten Gensler. Furthermore, different rotations were provided by different Panzergrenadier battalions, which underlines close cooperation and the rotating management commands of multinational unit.

The upcoming mission once again shows the commitment of the Bundeswehr and its partners as part of NATO and consolidates the defense measures in the region. The upcoming work and the exchange between the nations represent an important step to ensure peace and stability in Europe.