Lithuanian volunteer who died in Ukraine laid to rest in Vilnius
The funeral ceremony in Antakalnis Cemetery was attended by Chairman of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas, MP Vytautas Juozapaitis, Commander of the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) General Rustamas Liubajevas, other officials and border guards.
His wife was handed a Lithuanian flag and a medal of the participant of the war in Ukraine awarded to Tumas postmortem.
Before volunteering to fight in Ukraine against Russian invaders, he worked as a border guard protecting Lithuania’s border with Belarus.
Tumas, call sign Milžinas (Giant), had served in the 92nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for three months. He was transporting mines to the front line together with a Ukrainian soldier on 23 February when their vehicle was hit by a Russian drone. Both soldiers were wounded, the Ukrainian survived but the Lithuanian could not be saved.