The move comes as Berlin races to establish a permanent military presence on NATO’s eastern flank – days after the Leipzig Airport drone attack.
German troops (Image: Getty)
Germany is poised to send 1,000 soldiers to NATO‘s eastern flank amid fears Russia could launch an attack or even an invasion into the Baltic states. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has ordered that the first compulsory assignments begin by the end of September, according to an exclusive report by the German newspaper BILD.
The move comes as Berlin races to establish a permanent military presence on NATO’s eastern flank. Germany plans to have 4,800 troops permanently stationed in Lithuania by the end of 2027 as part of its commitment to strengthen the alliance’s defences in the Baltic region. However, recruitment for the brigade has fallen far short of requirements, with only about 60% of the necessary posts filled by volunteers.
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Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (Image: Getty)
The biggest shortages are understood to be among IT specialists, logistics personnel, cooks and other ranks.
BILD reports that around 20% of the brigade’s posts could currently be affected by compulsory assignments, although the Bundeswehr hopes to reduce that figure to 10% by the end of September.
Pistorius had previously acknowledged that compulsory assignments could be necessary, telling BILD that he expected the number affected to be below 1,000.
The principle of voluntary service remains in place, but the German defence ministry says compulsory assignments are necessary to ensure the brigade is operational.
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The Bundeswehr has spent months trying to persuade troops to volunteer for the move, including through advertising campaigns and familiarisation trips to Lithuania for soldiers and their families.
However, time is now running short, with the brigade not due to be fully established until the end of 2027.
Soldiers selected for compulsory deployment will be informed and have the opportunity to take legal action against the decision.
They will also need time to organise a potential move to Lithuania, adding to the pressure on Berlin as it attempts to fill the remaining gaps in the force.
The development comes amid heightened tensions on NATO’s eastern flank, with Lithuania among the alliance’s Baltic members closest to Russia.
Nightmare for Andy Burnham as Reform win 7 by-elections with Labour smashed in 1 key vote
The Reform UK leader took to X following Reform UK victories in a series of council by-elections.
Rachel Reeves says Andy Burnham will be next Prime Minister
Nigel Farage has hailed seven council by-election wins for Reform UK. The Reform leader took to X to celebrate the victories in town halls across the country following ballots yesterday.
He said: “Good news! Reform won seven council by-elections last night. Take the St Helens Town Centre Ward, last up in 2022. We went from 0% to 39%, smashing Labour. The Conservatives got 3.6%. They are no longer a national party.
“In Wilnecote Ward in Tamworth, we thrashed the Conservatives. Our vote was up +33%, theirs down -20%. We also won big in Cambridgeshire, Rhyl South, Nuneaton and Staffordshire. Across the country, people get it. Britain is broken. Only Reform will fix it!”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
It comes as Reform has been consistently leading national opinion polls.
The party also swept to victory at May’s local elections, where Labour faced a drubbing, but has not been successful in recent Westminster by-elections, including Makerfield and Gorton and Denton.
But Labour could receive a bounce following Sir Keir Starmer‘s resignation, with Andy Burnham looking set to enter 10 Downing Street within weeks.
Polling by More in Common found that in a hypothetical general election with Mr Burnham as Labour leader, the party would beat Reform UK – but only by a single point.
The survey suggested Labour would win 27% of the vote ahead of Reform on 26% and the Conservatives on 23%.
If Mr Burnham was not leader, Reform takes 28%, Labour 22% and the Tories 21%, according to the poll.
The new Makerfield MP is likely to be installed as leader on July 17 if a challenger does not emerge.