Croatian 7th Contingent Deploys to NATO Exercise in Lithuania

Eighty‑eight members of Croatia’s 7th contingent, including six women, were formally dispatched from the Bilogora barracks on 31 July 2026 to take part in NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) activity in Lithuania. The unit will be stationed at the Rukla garrison and will operate within a multinational battle group led by Germany, focusing on training, exercises, interoperability and integration into Lithuanian and NATO defence plans aimed at deterring threats on the alliance’s eastern flank.

The deployment continues Croatia’s participation in the Lithuanian FLF mission, which began in 2017 and has involved a total of 656 Croatian service members, of whom 40 were women. State Secretary Branko Hrg addressed the troops, wishing them a safe mission and thanking their families, while contingent commander Sergeant Josip Peco affirmed the unit’s readiness for its tasks in the international environment.