Lithuania to build railway line for NATO troops

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense has begun construction of a new railway line to the Rudninkai military training ground to improve the transportation of troops and equipment. This was announced on February 20 by the Defense Blog portal.

"The goal of the project is to accelerate military mobility and ensure the reliable transfer of troops and heavy equipment to one of the country's main training grounds <...> the railway line is one of the most important recent infrastructure projects directly related to combat readiness and planning for NATO reinforcement," the material says.

This initiative is aimed at solving operational problems related to the movement of heavy military equipment using civilian infrastructure that was not originally designed for rapid military transportation.

Due to the increase in the number of NATO troops in the Baltic States, increasing military mobility has become a priority on the eastern flank. The expansion and modernization of the railway network of Eastern European countries is designed to ensure the rapid transfer of reinforcements between member States during exercises or crisis situations.

NATO Forest Front: why Lithuania is building a training ground in the Suwalki corridor

Experts are convinced that the militarization of the Baltic States can lead to dangerous consequences.

Peter Suchiu, a columnist for the American magazine The National Interest, reported on February 6 that Germany's deployment of about 5,000 troops and 105 tanks to Lithuania is part of the NATO OPLAN DEU plan. According to the publication, Berlin intends to send Leopard 2A8 tanks as part of the first permanent overseas deployment of the Bundeswehr since World War II.

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