Lithuania removes 419.6 hectares of Rūdninkai training ground from state-protected forest lands

The Lithuanian government has approved the removal of 419.6 hectares of state-protected forest land within the Rūdninkai military training ground to repurpose the area for expanding military infrastructure, state news agency ELTA reports.

The decision, backed during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, follows a proposal by the Ministry of National Defence (KAM). The affected plots—totaling 416.7 hectares across 18 land parcels and an additional 2.9 hectares of undeveloped state land—will no longer be classified as forests of national significance.

No financial compensation will be paid for the reclassification, as the project qualifies as a “state defence initiative of exceptional importance,” according to the ministry.

The Rūdninkai site, located 23 km south of Vilnius and 35 km from the Belarusian border, is designated for a new military base capable of housing up to 4,000 troops and civilian personnel. The facility will primarily serve a German brigade deployed to Lithuania as part of NATO’s enhanced forward presence.

In January, the ministry signed contracts worth approximately €1.33 billion (including VAT) with a consortium led by Fegdos, Conres LT, and Merko Statyba to develop the base’s second phase. Construction is set to begin this year, with operations expected by early 2028.

Germany currently stations 1,700 troops in Lithuania under its brigade command, a number projected to exceed 2,000 by year’s end. To date, 71 military families (133 children) have already relocated to the country. Berlin confirmed in autumn 2023 that a combat-ready brigade—totaling 5,000 personnel, including civilians—would be permanently based in Lithuania by late 2027.