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According to the Ministry of National Defense, the French contingent will consist of almost 300 soldiers, of whom about 200 will form a mechanized infantry company, and another 100 will perform administrative and logistical tasks. French soldiers will form one of the companies of maneuver battle groups, will also serve in combat support units at the headquarters of the battle group.
The contingent is scheduled to be fully deployed in July, and at the end of the contingent it will be ready to participate in training and exercises for the Combat Group of the NATO Forces Battalion in Lithuania.
Soldiers and equipment arrive from the 5th French Army Dragon Battalion, bringing Leclerc battle tanks, VBCI infantry fighting vehicles. Before arriving in Lithuania, all French soldiers were checked by COVID-19 and negative results confirmed.
On July 14, French soldiers in the battalion will celebrate the country’s national holiday – Bastille Day of the Assumption. During the ceremony, the state flag will be solemnly raised and “Marseille” will be played.
The battle group of the NATO Front Forces Battalion in Lithuania consists of more than 1,200 soldiers. French troops will replace the Croatian contingent.
The NATO International Battalion was deployed to Lithuania in February 2017 in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and military activity in the region. The battalion is led by Germany in Lithuania. Soldiers from other countries also serve there, often coming with their own military equipment.
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