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Lithuania to set up joint military formation with Poland and Ukraine

Each country sends a mechanized infantry battalion to the brigade and is equally involved in the creation of special combat units
Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas EPA/JACEK TURCZYK
Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas
© EPA/JACEK TURCZYK

VILNIUS, March 12. /TASS/. Lithuania will send a mechanized infantry battalion and six staff officers to a joint military brigade that is being formed with Poland and Ukraine, Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas said in the national parliament on Thursday.

The lawmakers have started the process of ratification of the agreement on the establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian military formation. "The brigade will participate in joint manoeuvres and may also be involved in international operations, which received the mandate of the UN Security Council," said the minister.

The new formation has been named LITPOLUKRBRIG. The brigade is formed on the principle of EU battle groups. Each country sends a mechanized infantry battalion to the brigade and is equally involved in the creation of special combat units. Units assigned to LITPOLUKRBRIG will stay at their permanent stationing places, passing to the control of the command during military exercises or missions. The headquarters of the brigade where Lithuania will send six officers will be located in the Polish city of Lublin.

Moscow had previously opposed sending of foreign military instructors to Ukraine.

"All programs for Ukraine’s flooding with foreign instructors are primarily aimed at destabilizing the situation in the country, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexey Meshkov said.