Lithuania Welcomes 350 Belgian Troops for Joint Army Drills - Defense Ministry

VILNIUS (Sputnik) — Belgian troops have been formed out of an armored brigade with the 1/3rd Lancers Battalion, while the forces belonging to the Grand Duke Kestutis Motorized Infantry Battalion will take part on Lithuania's side alongside the Lithuanian National Defense Volunteer Forces' fifth brigade.

"On October 1, some 350 Belgian troops with over 100 units of military equipment arrived to Lithuania on a rotational basis. Throughout October, Belgian service personnel will take part in the Baltic Piranha 2016 joint exercises with Lithuanian troops," the ministry said in a statement.

The US army 173rd Airborne Brigade will also take part. All participating sides are NATO members.

Around 500 Lithuanian troops took part in last year's Baltic Piranha drills alongside 280 Belgian soldiers, US troops and members of Luxembourg's armed forces.

NATO has been boosting its military presence in Europe, particularly in Eastern European states, since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, citing Russia's alleged interference in that conflict as justification for the move.