Interview to the commander of eFP (enhanced Forward Presence) Battle Group in Lithuania
After the NATO summit in Madrid, the Alliance decided to recognize Russia as the main threat. It has not happened since the collapse of the USSR. The whole Eastern flank of Europe in these last few weeks and also in the next few months, are being reinforced with troops and military equipment.
Particular attention, of course, to the Baltics States that analysts and experts say they could be the next target of Russia.
We went to the NATO military base in Rukla, a small village not far from Kaunas, in the middle of Lithuania.
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This military base houses the NATO eFP (enhanced Forward Presence) Battle Group. It’s a huge base with everything needed to the troops: barracks, canteens, gyms, space for trainings and more where about 1.600 soldiers live.
Not far from the headquarter there is the logistic area. In that place there are tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles. It is forbidden to take photos, of course.
We met the commander Daniel Andrä from Germany. Germany is the lead nation of the Battle Group in Rukla that has troops from six different nations. In addition to Germans, there are troops from Belgium, Luxemburg, Norway, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands.
When we interviewed the Commander were his last days at Rukla. Every six months there is the rotation of the troops and the change of the commander.
We tried to understand how works the job of the NATO soldiers in Lithuania after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. If there are different tasks and what they are doing to prevent or to face a concrete threat.
“We are in total six countries here in Rukla – said Daniel Andrä – and the lead nation is Germany. We have also troops from the Netherlands, Norway, Czech Republic, Belgium, and Luxembourg. We are in total around 1600 soldiers”.
“...After the NATO summit, it has decided to increase the forces in Eastern or at Eastern flank and as you might know, Germany is willing and planning to increase the total number of soldiers in the Baltics, especially here in Lithuania”.
“...You have to train and to exercise the full spectrum. That means with an imminent air threat you have to have an immediate indirect fire capabilities, like artillery. And you have to adopt and adjust your standard operational procedures at the direction of how the enemy is conducting the operation and his acting in to the war”.
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OUR INTERVIEW TO THE VICE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF LITHUANIA