Just before the deployment appeal of the German Brigade in Lithuania, Russia is reportedly closely monitoring the activities of the Bundeswehr. Last week, during the “Iron Wolf” exercise, a Russian spy plane was detected in the neighboring airspace of Belarus. According to reports by Der Spiegel, the plane had its sensors focused on the NATO exercise, which the Bundeswehr was participating in alongside other NATO countries. As a result, the units immediately switched to encrypted communication. General Inspector Carsten Breuer, who was present at the time of the exercise, considers this incident as evidence of the real threat in Lithuania. Only a few days earlier, a German helicopter exercise in Lithuania was reportedly observed using a regular drone. The current observations align with the assessment of the Military Intelligence Service (MAD), the intelligence agency of the Bundeswehr. The agency has been warning for some time that the German brigade in Lithuania is under the focus of Russian intelligence services. To improve protection, the MAD plans to increase its presence on the ground. The new federal government intends to introduce legislation this year that will simplify cooperation and information exchange between the MAD and the German foreign intelligence service, the BND, in Lithuania. The German brigade in Lithuania is expected to be fully operational by 2027. On Thursday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) are expected to attend the deployment appeal.
Russian Spy Plane Spotted Monitoring German Combat Brigade in Lithuania
