VILNIUS, 25 February 2022, (TON): US Air Force fighter jets landed at the Lithuanian Zokniai air base, and the rotation of the heavy battalion of the American army stationed in Lithuania has also been extended.

This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the Baltic Republic.

Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas was quoted as saying “this is an appropriate US response to the fighting in our neighborhood. The military presence of the US and other allies in the Baltic countries and Poland is the main deterrent in the region.”

According to the Mini-stry of Defense, F-35 fighters landed at the Zokniai airbase.

As indicated by the agency, they will join the mission to protect the airspace of the Baltic countri-es, which NATO members, usually changing every four months, carry out from Zo-kniai airbases in Lithuania and Ämari in Estonia.

The agency said “F-35 fighters will strengthen the air patrol of the air forces of Poland, Denmark and Belgium.”

It noted that the F-35s would be based at Ämari. The number of fighters is not called. As a rule, NATO members delegate four co-mbat aircraft to the mission.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the r-otation of the US Army battalion, which is deployed in the area of the central training ground of the Lithu-anian army in Pabrade, wh-ich is near the border with Belarus, is being extended.