A 20-year-old Lithuanian volunteer Tomas Valentėlis died fighting in eastern Ukraine and was honored during a memorial service in Kyiv’s Independence Square on 16 April.
His decision to join Ukraine’s defense forces came in response to international calls for support amid the ongoing Russian aggression.
The International Legion, established by the Ukrainian government shortly after the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, is a volunteer military unit comprising of foreign nationals who want to help Ukraine defend against Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia also recruits foreign nationals for fighting in Ukraine, particularly from countries such as North Korea, China, and India.
Valentėlis, who had served with Ukraine’s International Legion for less than six months, was killed on 13 March during his first combat mission near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, according to LRT.
Recovery efforts for Tomas were complicated by ongoing hostilities in the area. His remains were only retrieved on 8 April, nearly a month after his death, following a period when he was classified as missing in action.
“They didn’t find Tomas’s documents or personal belongings – it’s possible he had already been searched by enemies [Russians],” fellow Lithuanian volunteer Jara told LRT.
An earlier extraction effort by the International Legion resulted in three wounded soldiers without successfully retrieving the body.
Jonas Ohmanas, co-founder of the aid organization Blue/Yellow, described the challenging conditions surrounding the recovery.
“The operation was quite complicated, the body was in a location fairly close to Russian positions,” Ohmanas told LRT. “During the extraction, there was some fighting, artillery.”
The farewell ceremony in Kyiv brought together representatives from the Lithuanian Embassy, Ukrainian military personnel, and fellow volunteers, according to Hromadske.
Lithuanian Ambassador Inga Stanitė-Toločkienė emphasized the significance of Valentelis’s service during her address.
“Tomas gave his life not only for Ukraine’s freedom but also for the freedom of Lithuania and all of Europe,” she stated.
Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, conducted the funeral service. Following the Kyiv ceremony, Valentelis’s ashes will be transported to his hometown of Biržai in northern Lithuania, where his father awaits.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda expressed condolences, stating: “Ukrainians are fighting and dying for freedom. Ukraine’s freedom is Europe’s freedom and Lithuania’s freedom.”
Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė indicated that Valentėlis would receive appropriate honors, similar to arrangements made for volunteer Tadas Tumas, who until now had been the only confirmed Lithuanian killed in combat in Ukraine.
Valentėlis, who previously lived in the United Kingdom before joining the International Legion, is the second Lithuanian to die in Ukraine since the full-scale war began, according to the Lithuanian Ambassador.
