Riga, Sept. 14, (dpa/GNA) – Amid the political tensions in neighbouring Belarus, a two-week military manoeuvre with around 950 soldiers from 10 NATO countries began in Lithuania on Monday.
In addition to Lithuanian troops, units from France, Poland and the United States are taking part in the air defence exercise dubbed Tobruq Legacy 20, the Lithuanian army said.
The aim of the exercise, which is scheduled to run until September 25, is to improve cooperation between the armed forces of the NATO countries in ground-based air defence.
To this end, the allies have temporarily relocated several air defence systems to Lithuania.
The exercise was “not tied to any current events in the region,” a message from the US Army in Europe said.
It comes as mass protests continue in Belarus against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko since a controversial election win in early August.
New US Army units had recently arrived in Lithuania for several military exercises planned for the autumn.
Lukashenko has accused NATO of stationing troops on the border with Belarus. The military alliance rejects this claim.
GNA