 More German troops arrive near Russian border, Moscow considers this mission as a threat. Germany has sent an advanced military team to Lithuania as part of plans for a full-strength armour brigade permanently stationed in the Baltic state which borders Russia. Moscow has described the mission as a threat that requires special measures in response. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius was among those to see off 21 military service members and civilian employees who departed from Berlin to Vilnius. The Minister praised the Bundeswehr deployment as a clear signal of solidarity with Germany's fellow NATO member. The Lithuanian brigade or Panzer Brigade 45 is set to include some 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian employees by the time it becomes fully operational in 2027. It will be hosted at the Rudninkai training ground in the southeast of the country as well as near the town of Rukla. Some German troops will be located just 20km from the border with Belarus, a key Russian ally. Lithuania also borders the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Lithuania, which has for years been upgrading the infrastructure needed to house foreign troops, has described the German deployment as historic. The arrival of the advanced team four months after the roadmap for the permanent mission was signed Heralds, a new page of deeper Lithuanian-German partnership. Defense Minister Lorynas Kasyunas declared as he welcomed the troops. Vilnius has touted the German force as a deterrent against Russia, although Moscow perceives it as yet more evidence that NATO is encroaching on its borders. This continues an escalation of tension, the creation of hotspots of threats to us at our borders, which will certainly require special measures to ensure our security. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, Moscow has accused Washington of ignoring its concerns over NATO enlargement in Europe, which was done in breach of promises made to the Soviet leadership when it agreed to German unification in the early 1990s. Since 2017, German troops have been part of enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Lithuania, a multinational 1700 strong force stationed in Rukla. Russia changed tactics on attacking Ukraine's energy system. Losses are worse than last year. The Russian Federation has shifted its tactics in attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Losses have escalated beyond those suffered during the massive strikes of 2022-2023, according to the Financial Times. Instead of widespread shelling, the militants have focused on precision missile strikes on power stations in less defended regions. Some of these stations may not be restored before the next winter. According to Ukrainian officials, the damage inflicted by Russia are not as extensive but are worse than those in the winters of 2022-2023. From March 22-29, Russia targeted seven thermal power plants and two hydroelectric power stations. However, energy facilities in Kiev remain untouched by the Russians due to the capital's robust air defence system. Ukraine did not provide details on the extent of damage at each power plant, but officials said that some, including those in Kharkiv Oblast near the Russian border, were almost completely destroyed, adds the publication. Maria Satorian, head of communications at Ukrainego, noted that Russians are deploying the same number of missiles against five to six energy targets in one region as they did during the mass strikes in 2022-2023. While Ukrainego can protect smaller substations with defensive structures, large power stations require months or even years to restore. Another difference from last year's attacks is that Russia has begun using expensive precision ballistic missiles. Andrey Heros, chairman of Ukraine's parliamentary committee on energy and utilities, revealed that during a recent attack on a coal power station, Russians used ballistic missiles worth $100 million. According to Ukrainian military intelligence representative Andrey Cheneyak, the enemy also deploys a large number of UAVs as a cheaper means of targeting such as transformers. Cheneyak said that Ukraine expected attacks at the beginning of winter, but now it's become known that the missiles they used were just recently manufactured.