(Bloomberg) -- German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to buy 35 additional Leopard 2 A8 battle tanks to bolster a planned brigade in Lithuania under NATO’s joint efforts to secure Europe’s eastern flank against Russia, two people familiar with the matter said.

The units would carry a combined price tag of as much as €1 billion ($1.1 billion), and would supplement the 18 tanks that Germany already committed to purchasing, said one of the people. They all declined to be named discussing confidential information. German newspaper Die Welt first reported on the potential tank order.

A defense ministry spokeswoman declined to comment.

Read more: Germany Buys Tanks, Howitzers in Jumbo Defense Order

--With assistance from Monica Raymunt.

(Updates with no comment in third paragraph)

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