Germany to order soldiers to Lithuania amid volunteer shortage

The German military is having to rely on compulsory assignments to fill positions in a German brigade stationed in Lithuania.

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The move is said to be necessary because of difficulties filling planned voluntary positions, which has left a shortage of specialists.

According to information obtained by Bild, the first soldiers could be ordered to serve there from the end of September, with up to 1,000 Bundeswehr personnel potentially in line to be affected.

By the end of 2027, the 45th Panzer Brigade is expected to grow to around 4,800 German soldiers and be stationed permanently in Lithuania, on NATO’s eastern flank.

The brigade’s main base will be Rūdninkai, around 30 kilometres from Belarus.

Bild was the first to report on the planned compulsory assignments, and the Ministry of Defence has since confirmed the measures. Almost 80% of the posts are currently filled by volunteers.

“According to current forecasts and in view of the continued influx of volunteer applications, the proportion of compulsory appointments is expected to be in the mid three-figure range,” it said in a press release.

“Maintaining the Bundeswehr’s operational readiness is the top priority and is the decisive criterion in all measures,” it continued. “In all decisions to be taken, the personal interests of service personnel will be taken into account as far as possible.”

Germany’s Ministry of Defence plans to brief the representatives on the Defence Committee on Monday about next steps.

For those affected, a compulsory posting means additional notice. They also have the opportunity to challenge the decision in court.

Euronews accompanied two soldiers from Panzer Battalion 203 during the “Freedom Shield” exercise last June. Their battalion is to be redeployed to NATO’s eastern flank by the end of 2027.

In an interview with Euronews, the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Kaufmann, said that Panzer Battalion 203 has “actually a very high proportion of volunteers.”

“I can speak for my battalion, and the majority of soldiers are willing to go to Lithuania voluntarily, and that is exactly what I want: I want soldiers by my side who are convinced of the mission and who, as part of the Panzer Battalion 203 team, take on this responsible task,” said Kaufmann.

Among the forces already stationed in Lithuania, the staffing rate is about 92%. These forces include, in particular, the multinational battlegroup that has been stationed there since 2017.

Panzer Battalion 203 and Panzergrenadier Battalion 122 are not due to be moved to Lithuania until 2027. According to the investigation, around 40% of the personnel required for those units are still missing.