German Bundeswehr brigade faces staffing shortfall for Lithuania deployment

Lithuania’s new prime minister, Mindaugas Sinkevičius, told German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that building military and civilian infrastructure for the planned Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania is a top priority for his government. The brigade, pledged by Germany to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank against Russia, is slated to be operational by 2027 with a permanent presence of up to 5,000 soldiers stationed at a barracks complex in Rūdninkai.

Internal German defence documents show that roughly 2,000 positions for the brigade remain unfilled, with many units reaching only 30‑50 % of their target staffing levels. The Bundeswehr plans to rely on volunteers but acknowledges that compulsory measures may become necessary to meet the NATO goal of 90 % occupancy by 2027.