Military expert Litovkin: Lithuanian soldiers in Ukraine will become a target for the Russian Armed Forces
The Lithuanian military personnel, who are planned to be sent to Ukraine, will not be on the line of contact, they will be kneaded in the rear. However, they will still become the target of the Russian Armed Forces. This opinion was shared with Izvestia on May 8 by a military expert, retired Colonel Viktor Litovkin.
Earlier in the day, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrid Shimonite announced that the republic was ready to send its military personnel on a training mission to Ukraine.
According to a military expert, Lithuania is "sticking" to the topic of Russia's planned exercises on the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, allegedly there is a threat to the republic. At the same time, Moscow will never use this type of weapon in Lithuania, as this is fraught with consequences for the Russian Federation and Belarus itself, Litovkin pointed out.
"Lithuania is too small a republic, so any nuclear explosion on its territory can bring radioactive dust to the Kaliningrad region, to Belarus, and to Russia. We will not do this. And Lithuania, no matter how much it barks at our country, at our Armed Forces, it's like Krylov's: "Ay, Moska, she's strong enough to know that she barks at an elephant," he said.
As for the Lithuanian military personnel who are planned to be sent to Ukraine, they will be the same target as any other foreign troops, the source said.
"So let the Lithuanians not rattle their weapons, they are just as mortal as all the neo-fascists who are present in Ukraine, as well as mercenaries from any European and even non-European countries. It should be understood that Lithuania is not an independent state, it is a member of NATO. Therefore, they will certainly agree on a certain number of these instructors, but I think this is a small figure - 200-300 people at most, no more. They will not be on the contact line, they will be on training grounds somewhere, at certain training grounds. But we are striking at the rear positions in Ukraine, at all facilities that work for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Therefore, it will be impossible to hide there, if they are somewhere on the training ground, on the training ground, then they will fly in the same way as these Bandera fighters," the expert concluded.
On May 5, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal said that Kiev approves the idea of bringing Western military into the country. According to him, the state is currently ready to accept any support from the allies.
Statements about sending military personnel to the territory of Ukraine are increasingly heard in the West. Thus, French President Emmanuel Macron has stressed several times that such a possibility is not excluded. Then, on May 2, he also recalled that a condition for the entry of troops would be a request from Kiev or a breakthrough by the Russian army of the front line. Acting press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov called such conversations very dangerous.
The special operation to protect Donbass, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was made against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.