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Akbar Novruz

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NATO allies are conducting two large-scale military exercises in Lithuania near the Belarusian border, involving more than 6,000 military personnel from several European countries.

According to the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, the exercises, named Freedom Shield 26-II and Grand Eagle 26, will take place from November 6 to December 3, focusing on combat readiness, operational coordination and interoperability among allied forces.

The drills are being conducted under the command of Germany's 10th Panzer Division, which will oversee participating formations throughout the exercises, from their initial deployment and readiness assessments to their return to permanent bases.

"These exercises are being conducted under the leadership of the German 10th Panzer Division. The division will ensure the management of all units, from the formation and readiness of brigades under its command to the return to their permanent deployment locations. The purpose of both exercises is to strengthen the combat readiness of the units, improve command and control procedures, operational planning, as well as improve interoperability between NATO allies Lithuania and Poland," the ministry said in a statement.

More than 6,000 troops from the 45th Lietuva Armoured Brigade and the 37th Saxony Mechanised Infantry Brigade, both operating within the German 10th Panzer Division's command structure, are expected to participate.

Military personnel from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Belgium and Luxembourg will also take part, alongside units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO's multinational combat brigade stationed in Lithuania.

The exercises will test the participating formations' ability to coordinate military operations, manage multinational forces and execute operational plans under a unified command structure.

Lithuania, which shares a border with Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, occupies a strategically important position on NATO's eastern flank.