By the end of next year, around 5,000 German troops will be permanently stationed between the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, and the border with Belarus as part of the new Lithuania Panzerbrigade 45.
During a major military exercise in May and June, Lithuanian schoolgirl Kamilė V. found herself at the heart of the action after winning a Bundeswehr tank ride in a NATO essay competition.
Euronews met her shortly before the experience at the Pabradė training area, where she joined soldiers from the mechanised infantry battalion assigned to Brigade 45. They had just completed the nearly six-week "Freedom Shield" exercise.
Just a short distance from the Belarusian border, troops from eight NATO countries are training for a range of combat scenarios.
The German contingent of around 2,300 soldiers is part of the build-up to the permanent Lithuania Brigade. The exercise focuses on strengthening interoperability between allied forces along NATO's eastern flank.
