Berlin Deploys Patriot Air Defence Systems in Vilnius Ahead of NATO Summit

The Bundeswehr has moved its Patriot systems to Lithuania as part of preparations for a secure environment for world leaders to visit Vilnius during the July NATO summit.

This was reported on the official website of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

It is noted that the US Patriot system will perform combat missions in Lithuania for the first time, which is why "the German crew will ensure the perfection of its work on the ground based on collective decisions".

In addition, a number of other combat forces and equipment will be deployed in Vilnius "in accordance with plans, procedures, communication and logistical solutions agreed in advance of the NATO Summit".

During the summit, Lithuania and its Allies will provide air defence, protection of critical infrastructure, and important routes for the movement of individuals.

In total, more than 3,000 servicemen of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will be deployed to ensure security during the summit in Vilnius.

Last month, the Patriot air defence systems previously deployed in Ukraine demonstrated historic effectiveness. During a massive missile attack by Russia, Ukrainian air defence forces using Patriot systems shot down 6 Russian supersonic Kinzhal missiles, which were previously considered extremely difficult to intercept.

At the same time, according to ABS, Spain will also send two of its NASAMS air defence systems and redeploy 85 troops from Latvia to Lithuania to ensure the security of the NATO summit.

"This contribution to the defence of the Vilnius NATO Summit itself demonstrates our reliability, our interoperability with other NATO systems and our commitment to the Atlantic Alliance," the newspaper quoted its sources in Spanish military circles as saying.

In turn, according to the Polish National Security Bureau, Warsaw will send its special forces to ensure the security of the NATO summit in Vilnius.

It is noted that such actions were agreed in advance with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczyk, and "the result of agreements between the presidents of Poland and Lithuania on broader military cooperation."

The NATO summit will take place in Vilnius on 11-12 July, and leaders are expected to discuss the urgent issues related to the Russian-Ukrainian war, as well as the challenges to the security of the European continent in connection with the war started by Russia.