Lithuanian volunteer soldier killed in war in Ukraine

A Lithuanian volunteer was killed on Friday when the car in which he was travelling was hit by a Russian drone. He is the first Lithuanian volunteer soldier to have died fighting for Ukraine against Russia.

Source: European Pravda, citing Lithuanian national broadcaster LRT

The Lithuanian’s death was confirmed by Sigitas Maliauskas, head of the instructor mission Gyvačių Sala [Zmiinyi (Snake) Island].

He named the deceased as Tadas Tumas, 43, who was said to have a wife and two children in Lithuania.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas also confirmed that he had received information about the death of a Lithuanian in Ukraine.

"This information has reached us and the Lithuanian Embassy in Kyiv. Initial reports say he was killed near Bakhmut, but no other circumstances have been reported," the minister said.

The Lithuanian volunteer soldier served in the 92nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He had served for just over three months.

"He was a mortar gunner by profession. But as is often the case in combat operations, he performed various duties," Maliauskas said.

According to Maliauskas, Tumas and another soldier, who was also killed in the Russian drone attack, had been transporting mines to the front line near Bakhmut.

Last week, it was reported that a volunteer soldier from Czechia had been killed near Avdiivka. In December, a volunteer soldier from Ireland was killed in the war in Ukraine.

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