First Lithuanian volunteer soldier killed defending Ukraine, buried in Vilnius – photo

Farewell to Tadas Tumas. Photo: E. Blaževič, LRT

Vilnius has bid farewell to Tadas Tumas, the volunteer soldier who died in Ukraine on 23 February. 

Source: LRT, European Pravda reports

The farewell to Tadas, the first Lithuanian volunteer to die in Ukraine, lasted for two days at St.  Ignatius Church, the church of the Lithuanian Military Ordinariate. Gitanas Nausėda, the President of Lithuania, also attended the ceremony to bid the soldier farewell. 

Advertisement:

Farewell to Tadas Tumas

Photo: E. Blaževič, LRT

On Saturday morning, a memorial service was held, after which the procession headed for the military cemetery adorned with the flags of Lithuania and Ukraine. At least a hundred people came to the ceremony.

Tadas Tumas fought in Ukraine as a member of the International Legion. He was killed on 23 February near Bakhmut when he was driving a car near the contact zone with a Ukrainian brother-in-arms – the car was hit by a Russian drone loaded with explosives. 

Man, holding a photo of Tadas Tumas

Photo: E. Blaževič, LRT

Reminder: 

• On Friday, the death of a German volunteer who fought as part of the International Legion was reported. 
• Earlier, a Czech volunteer was killed near Avdiivka. In December, a volunteer from the Republic of Ireland was killed in Ukraine.
• Back in the spring of 2022, Mantas Kvedaravičius, Lithuanian documentary filmmaker, was killed in the besieged city of Mariupol, but his footage was saved.

Support UP or become our patron!