New leader to command Lithuanian Army's Land Forces

The change of command ceremony will take place outside the Land Forces' headquarters in Vilnius on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said.

Among participants of the ceremony should be Defense Minister Rasa Juknevičienė, Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius, commanders of Estonian and Latvian Land Forces, as well as top commanders of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and divisions.

After heading the Land Forces for five years, Žukas was appointed as Lithuania's military representative to NATO and the European Union (EU) in Brussels.

Before the appointment as chief of the Land forces, Leika worked as director general for capacities and munitions at the ministry. He will be replaced by Colonel Valdas Siaučiulis in the post.

Leika has been serving in Lithuania's defense system since March 1991, he has served in then Volunteer National Defense Service, headed the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Motorized Infantry Battalion, the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the Afghan province of Ghor and held various leading positions in Lithuania and abroad.

He is a graduate of the General Jonas Žemaitis War Academy, has completed a land forces college in the US, the Baltic Defense College in Tartu. He holds a master's degree in the humanities and strategic studies.

In Lithuania, the commander of Land Forces is appointed and dismissed by the defense minister upon proposal of the chief of defense.

Land Forces is part of Lithuania's Armed Forces aiming to prepare military units for protection and defense of Lithuania's land territory and able to participate in international operations. The military and civilian staff of the Land Forces currently includes about 3,500 people in addition to about 4,300 volunteer troops.