U.S. military training near the border – World | BelarusVC
Belarus Virtual Consult

Bridging the World to Belarus

Your trusted gateway to opportunities.

U.S. military training near the border

Bradley IFVs conducted drills at the Lithuanian Pabradė training ground

U.S. military training near the border

On January 11–12, 2024, American military units conducted joint exercises using B-MP Bradley armored personnel carriers at the Pabradė training ground in Lithuania, located 15 km from the border with Belarus. The maneuvers included live-fire exercises to test crew coordination and demonstrate combat readiness of NATO's eastern flank.

The joint exercises are carried out under the pretext of verifying combat readiness and force interoperability. Such activity is not uncommon, but four American soldiers previously died at this training ground, and a Belgian soldier also died nearby, raising concerns among local and international observers.

According to military commanders' explanations, plans are currently being discussed to build a new training ground near the Belarus border, which could increase the number of similar drills in the area.

Context

Training exercises at this same site between 2014 and 2018 resulted in the deaths of four American soldiers.

Summary:

US troops conducted exercises near the Belarus border in Lithuania using Bradley APCs. The training involved live-fire drills and was part of NATO's eastern flank readiness. The location has previously seen U.S. casualties, raising concerns about the intensity of future training.