Bild: Germany to forcibly recruit troops for Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania

Germany’s Defense Ministry has decided to forcibly recruit military personnel for a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania after failing to fill the unit through voluntary enlistment, Bild reports, citing its own sources.

According to the newspaper, a campaign to forcibly recruit up to 1,000 troops for deployment to Lithuania will begin at the end of September. Bild noted that Germany plans to station around 4,800 soldiers and officers there by the end of 2027.

The number of volunteers has fallen short of requirements, with shortages reported among IT specialists, logistics personnel and cooks. In June, Bild wrote that the Bundeswehr had managed to fill only 60% of the brigade through voluntary recruitment. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius subsequently did not rule out compulsory recruitment.

By Jeyhun Aghazada