Lithuanian military volunteer dies after getting wounded in Bakhmut

Tuesday, 4 July 2023, 10:19

Valerijus Polkovnikovas, a military volunteer from Lithuania, who was wounded in the fighting near the city of Bakhmut, died in a Kyiv hospital on 3 July.

Source: Rokas Paulukaitis, a friend of the deceased, a Lithuanian Air Force pilot, on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "Today I received the sad news. Valerijus Polkovnikovas passed away in a Kyiv hospital from the wounds he sustained in Bakhmut. A classmate, a friend, a person who could not stand aside when he saw injustice," he said.

Details: Paulukaitis also called for aid to the parents of the deceased, who were found to be in a difficult financial situation.

As Lithuanian news agency LRT reports, Polkovnikovas fought in Ukraine for several months.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas also reported the death of a Lithuanian military volunteer on social media but later deleted the post.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reported that the embassy staff in Ukraine had visited the hospital, where they received confirmation of the death of the Lithuanian citizen.

The ministry said the embassy had no information that the deceased Lithuanian citizen had died of injuries sustained during hostilities.

Lithuanian diplomats are investigating the situation and are in constant contact with the man's relatives and law enforcement agencies.

Background: In April, two Lithuanian citizens serving in the International Legion of Defence of Ukraine were reportedly injured during the fighting near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

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