Lithuania’s Defense Ministry has announced plans to build a new military camp for NATO forces at the Rudninkai training ground near the border with Belarus. The facility is expected to accommodate around 1,000 troops.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said the country is investing in military infrastructure through a coordinated long-term approach aimed at providing the Bundeswehr brigade and other allied forces with suitable conditions for training and deployment in Lithuania.

The project is estimated to cost about €40 million. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2028. By then, the training ground is expected to have new residential facilities and engineering infrastructure needed to house military personnel.

Rudninkai is also set to become one of the main permanent deployment sites for the German brigade in Lithuania. Around 80% of the formation is expected to be stationed there. The brigade will include 4,800 service members, along with roughly 200 support personnel.

The transfer of the Bundeswehr brigade to Lithuania for permanent deployment is planned to be completed in 2027. Its core will consist of a tank battalion and a mechanized infantry battalion.

In June, Bild reported that around 5,000 German troops would be permanently stationed in Lithuania near the Belarusian border as part of efforts to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. The alliance aims to bring the Lithuania brigade to full combat readiness as early as next year.