Other events in Baltic States

France completed the deployment of its army units within the NATO battalion in Lithuania last week after military equipment arrived.

Some 300 French troops with five Leclerc tanks and a dozen of IFVs will serve in Lithuania until the end of this year.

The first troops were deployed in early July, and military equipment followed.

"After the first soldiers arrived on July 3, 2020, the French tactical component of the eFP Battlegroup is now fully deployed in Rukla for a six month rotation till the end of December," French Defense Attaché Colonel Stephane Loechleiter told BNS. "The sub-battlegroup is equipped – among others – with 5 main battle tanks Leclerc and 14 armored infantry fighting vehicles VBCI".

The troops and equipment arrived from the 5th Dragoon Regiment located in Mailly le Camp.

The French contingent is composed of nearly 300 soldiers, roughly 200 of them as a mechanized infantry company, and 100 soldiers will manage logistic and administration affairs. The French troops will serve as one of the NATO eFP maneuver companies, in combat support units, and in the NATO eFP Lithuania HQ.

The NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania has the total strength of over 1,200 soldiers.

NATO battalion in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland were deployed in early 2017 in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and its military activity in the region.