Germany will send hundreds of soldiers and hardware to Russia’s borders, that was reported by TASS on Thursday.

NATO’s multi-national battalion in Lithuania will have not only German military servicemen, but it will also receive Leopard 2 tanks.

“Indeed, the decision was made to dispatch tanks, but we cannot say what their numerical strength will be,” German Defense Ministry representative Thomas Frueh told TASS. The ministry officer said the tanks will also be engaged in military exercises. “The main aim is to demonstrate their presence,” he said.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said earlier that Germany was planning to dispatch 400 to 600 military servicemen to Lithuania. All in all, the strength of the NATO battalion will be about 1,000 servicemen.

Belgium, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway and Croatia are also expected to send their armed forces personnel to Lithuania.