Lithuania to expand military training sites near key NATO corridor

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Lithuania announced Monday plans to expand its military training facilities as it strengthens its armed forces and prepares for a larger presence of allied troops.

According to a report by public broadcaster LRT, the country will establish a new brigade-sized military training area in Kapciamiestis, in southern Lithuania near the borders with Poland and Belarus.

Lithuania will also double the size of its existing training site near Taurage in western Lithuania by expanding it into a neighboring district, the report said.

The decision was announced by the State Defense Council. President Gitanas Nauseda’s national security adviser, Deividas Matulionis, said the Kapciamiestis site was selected due to its importance to national security.

The area lies within the Suwałki Gap, a narrow land corridor connecting the Baltic states to the rest of NATO.

Lithuania, Poland and NATO regard the Suwałki Gap as strategically vital and say its defense will receive special attention.

The expansion plans come as Lithuania increases the size of its armed forces through higher conscription and reserve numbers, while also acquiring new military equipment.

Germany has pledged to deploy a brigade of several thousand troops to Lithuania by 2027, a move that is expected to significantly increase the demand for large-scale training areas.