Internal Bundeswehr files show many units well below required strength. That gap could force compulsory assignments to meet NATO readiness before relocation.
As of mid-June, the Bundeswehr is recording a deficit of nearly 2,000 service members needed to staff the combat and logistics units of the German brigade permanently deployed in Lithuania.
According to internal Bundeswehr documents labeled “For official use only,” the staffing of a significant portion of the units is assessed as unsatisfactory or critical.
Of the ten separately listed units and formations that need to be staffed, four were in the unsatisfactory zone and three in the critical zone
– Welt am Sonntag
Staffing Shortage and Its Consequences
As of June, some of the brigade’s units were less than 30% of the planned strength for service in Lithuania, while in many other units this figure did not exceed 50%.
Particularly challenging is the situation in the communications units, which were staffed at about 40%, with the number of candidates having declined recently.
The documents note problems with recruiting enlisted personnel and specialized NCOs. Strengthened recruitment measures have yielded some results, but do not fully meet the needs for voluntary candidates.
Although the recruitment measures have yielded some results, they do not meet the needs for voluntary candidates
– Welt am Sonntag
According to the publication, this could compel the German Ministry of Defence to partially abandon the principle of voluntariness in staffing the brigade.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius previously suggested that not all of the roughly 4,800 soldiers would volunteer to serve in Lithuania, and some would have to be assigned to compulsory service – about 1,000 positions. Internal data now indicate that the staffing shortfall may be more acute.
In response to the inquiry, the German Ministry of Defense said that the brigade’s formation is proceeding as planned, preserving the priority of voluntary recruitment, but if necessary they may apply mandatory personnel decisions.
Official Bundeswehr materials also state that the principle of voluntariness applies until a personnel shortage threatens the brigade’s or its units’ combat readiness.
The redeployment of the main units to Lithuania is scheduled for July 1, 2027. Under NATO requirements, at least 90% of positions must be filled by this moment, and the relocation may continue through the second half of 2027.
As previously reported, the Bundeswehr brigade officially began serving in Lithuania in April 2025 as part of strengthening NATO’s eastern flank.
The Bundeswehr’s 45th Armored Brigade, permanently stationed in Lithuania, numbers about 4,800 service members and 200 civilian staff; full operational readiness is planned to be achieved by the end of 2027. This is the first combat brigade permanently stationed abroad to bolster NATO’s eastern flank and deter Russia.
According to NATO requirements, achieving full readiness means filling at least 90% of positions, after which the relocation process may continue through the second half of 2027.
The staffing situation may affect the pace of deployment and the combat readiness of allies in the region where the brigade is stationed.