The Lithuanian flag colours have been allegedly spotted on the helmets of police forces that are brutally suppressing protests in Belarus, LRT TV viewers pointed out.
LRT FACTS investigates what is the true meaning of the flag-like symbol seen in a video from Minsk.
The alleged Lithuanian flag in a video from Minsk was first spotted by LRT.lt followers on Facebook. They also wrote a letter to LRT expressing their concern that the Lithuanian flag colours could be used to discredit the country.
Authentic video
The video showing police officers wearing helmets with what looks like a Lithuanian flag was recorded on August 11 in Minsk by AFP news agency. The footage was also used by LRT TV news service for a reportage about events in Belarus.
The video captured Belarusian police arresting journalists. One of the officers was wearing a helmet with the Lithuanian tricolour – yellow, green, and red – seen on the back.
Military: these are reflective strips
The strategic communication department of the Lithuania Armed Forces strongly denied the allegations that Lithuanian troops could be in Belarus.
Laimis Bratikas, from the Lithuanian military, said that the country's soldiers could only be sent to Belarus with approval by the country’s parliament Seimas, but such a scenario is too far-fetched to be even considered.
He also noted that the uniform of the officers seen in the video demonstrates that they are part of the internal Belarusian forces and not the army.
Gintautas Ciunis of the strategic communication department added that the symbol on the Belarusian officer’s helmet is not a flag of Lithuania but a reflective strip. In fact, it is clear from the footage that the symbol is fluorescent.
“I can see three reflective strips on the helmet and there cannot be any speculation [about the Lithuanian flag],” Ciunis said.
He explained that such strips are used to identify forces’ sub-units during missions and that different colour combinations mean different functions.
In the video, the officers are wearing strips of different colour combinations, while some are not wearing any.
“Such interpretations [about the Lithuanian troops in Belarus] are very useful to our adversaries,” said Ciunis, warning about possible disinformation following the video.
A source in Minsk told LRT.lt that the uniformed men in the video are probably OMON officers or troops of the Belarusian Interior Ministry. They do not bear any distinguishing symbols.
“Anyone – internal forces or the military – could be under the helmets,” Ciunis said.
Mistake. The Lithuanian flag colours on a Belarusian officer’s helmet do not indicate the presence of Lithuanian military in Belarus. The images also do not indicate that there's a disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Lithuania. The representative of the Lithuanian Armed Forces told LRT FACTS that the symbol is a combination of identification strips that simply happen to match the colours of the Lithuanian flag. In the video, officers are wearing helmets with strips of different colour combinations
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