A German army convoy of 130 soldiers and 60 vehicles reached Lithuania on Thursday, bringing almost half of planned reinforcements for the country’s German-led NATO battlegroup amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday there was now every indication Russia was planning to invade Ukraine, including signs Moscow was carrying out a false flag operation to provide a pretext, after Ukrainian government forces and pro-Moscow separatists traded fire.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he was assured by German Chancellor Olof Scholz on Thursday in Brussels the German soldiers are authorized fight to defend Lithuania.

“The German army is on our territory to defend us, and if there’s a threat to Lithuania, they are really ready to do their duty,” Nauseda said.

The German reinforcement operation will continue until the end of the week, bolstering German forces in Lithuania by more than 350 soldiers and 100 vehicles, Enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup commander Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Andrae said.

Source: Azeri-Press News Agency