August 6, leadership and personnel of the NATO Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania changed over at a ceremony at the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment in Rukla. The first Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania rotation to deploy with the Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles, rotation 17 under leadership of German Lieutenant Colonel Malte Bolanzo, has served since February 2025. They completed an intense training cycle over the tour of duty, including in the major international Exercise Iron Wolf 2025-I.
“Presence of the NATO Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania is not just a symbol of defence, it is also a strong message of our mutual resolve and unity. It is especially critical in these times when Russia continues waging its brutal and cynical war against Ukraine. We can see the fragile that our security situation would be if we stood alone, and why we stand together, hence. Russia continues building up military forces and capabilities aiming to reshape the security architecture of Europe. We cannot afford to underrate the potential for aggression against the sovereign NATO Allies. We need to stay vigilant and ready. Therefore, NATO enhanced forward presence in the region means more than ever,” said Minister of National Defence ad interim Dovilė Šakalienė.
Commander of the Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf Col Darius Meilūnas thanked the outgoing 17th rotation and its Commander for their service and professionalism, and handed over the flag to Commander of the incoming 18th rotation Lt Col Tobias Tiedau delegated by Framework Nation Germany. The rotation is manned by Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Luxembourg.
The NATO Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania is integrated in the Lithuanian Armed Forces Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf. Since it was inaugurated in 2017, over 20 thousand NATO military personnel from 9 Allies have rotated to Lithuania for exercise and training. The constant interaction and joint training with the Lithuanian military personnel demonstrate Alliance unity and readiness to take joint action to defence every member. Rotation changeover takes place on a regular basis and guarantees persistent presence and readiness that reflects the shifting security challenges in Eastern Europe.
Photo credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces
