Lithuania studying Ukraine's experience in mobilisation and recruitment

Lithuania is studying Ukraine's experience in organising mobilisation, recruitment and training of military personnel in wartime.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry reported that during the meeting, Serhii Melnyk, Deputy Defence Minister and Brigadier General of Justice, emphasised the importance of cooperation between the two nations and expressed gratitude to Lithuania for its unwavering support for Ukraine since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

Notably, the Ukrainian side briefed the Lithuanian delegation on reforms in mobilisation and recruitment, particularly the establishment of 44 recruitment centres across most Ukrainian oblasts, where citizens can now enlist for military service under contract.

The parties also discussed this year's innovations designed to strengthen defence capabilities, specifically the option to enrol directly into a specific military unit and the introduction of basic military service in place of conscript service starting in 2025.

In his turn, Arunas Balčiūnas, Head of the Lithuanian Military Conscription and Recruitment Service, stressed that it is essential for a country that also borders Russia to learn from Ukraine's experience gained during the thousand days of war.

"Lithuania also borders the Russian Federation, so we are interested in the experience Ukraine has gained over almost a thousand days of resistance. When military events come to replace peacetime, everything changes rapidly. And it is vital for the military, who are responsible for the state's security, to be prepared for these changes," he stressed.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry further reported that the Lithuanian delegation had spoken about its own initiatives in organising registers of citizens liable for military service and notifying them of their service obligations. This topic became an essential focus of the exchange of experience between the two countries.

The parties also agreed upon continuing cooperation to strengthen the two countries' defence capabilities and national security using the latest practices and innovations.

In early October, it was reported that Lithuania would purchase additional NASAMS medium-range air defence systems for €234 million.

On 15 October, reports indicated that Lithuania had decided to create two new battalions of tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and purchase an additional batch of Vilkas IFVs for €370 million.

In November, the Lithuanian government allocated €2.4 million to develop drone capabilities.