Nausėda to observe Lithuania’s largest military drills in Kaunas
Monday 12th October 2026 on 05:45 in
Lithuania
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda will visit Kaunas on Monday to observe the armed defence exercise Perkūno griausmas 2026, LRT reported.
As commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Nausėda will attend what his spokesperson described as the country’s largest exercises of the year. The Lithuanian military is training to carry out tasks set out in the State Defence Plans, working with NATO forces, services of the Interior Ministry, the National Crisis Management Centre and local authorities, spokesperson Tomas Beržinskas told news agency ELTA.
In a comment relayed by Beržinskas, Nausėda said the exercises strengthen Lithuania’s readiness to defend itself together, if needed, and to protect its freedom and values.
The Lithuanian military’s exercises run from September 17 to October 15. They test mobilisation procedures, the call-up of reserve soldiers, the protection of border areas and critical infrastructure, and responses to hybrid and cyber threats.
The exercises began with the activation of military units responsible for peacetime tasks, to reinforce border posts operated by the State Border Guard Service. Units on rapid response duty will later train to respond to simulated asymmetric and hybrid threats.
Chief of the Defence Staff Rear Admiral Giedrius Premeneckas said up to 2,400 active reserve soldiers would be called up to various military units in September and October. More than 5,000 other reserve soldiers would be contacted to update their contact and other necessary details.
The Reserve Soldier 2026 training is part of Perkūno griausmas 2026. It tests the military’s and state institutions’ readiness for armed defence, mobilisation procedures and the staffing of military units with reserve soldiers.
Exercises linked to NATO training
Elements and procedures of Lithuania’s State Armed Defence Plan will also be practised in the context of NATO’s Steadfast Duel 2026 exercises. Nationally, the training will be coordinated with other Lithuanian military exercises: Audros smūgis, Perkūno ratai, Rezervo karys, Gintarinė migla, Vyčio skliautas and SOFEVAL.