Lithuanians lend helping hand to Ukraine as thousands flock to donate necessary items

On Saturday, a plane from Madeira with 70 Ukrainian citizens landed in Vilnius. Some of them wish to come back to their country as soon as possible, while Lithuanians collect aid to be sent to Ukraine.

"We were on holiday in Madeira, and war broke out. A tour operator helped us find this plane, together with the authorities in Madeira, Poland, and Lithuania. Thank you for your help,” said a Ukrainian woman who landed in Vilnius.

Currently, the Ukrainians are accommodated in hotels in Lithuania. But some hope to come back to Ukraine as soon as possible to reunite with their relatives and join the fights against Russia’s aggression.

“I plan to go to Ukraine tomorrow. We are not refugees and we will not be refugees. We want to defend our country,” said a Ukrainian man who was on a plane from Madeira to Vilnius.

Protest "Lithuanian women stand up for Ukrainian women" on Sunday | D. Umbraso / LRT nuotr.

According to Žydrė Gavelienė, head of the Tourism Business Association, some Ukrainians want to stay in Lithuania, others come back home or go to Poland. The association and its partners will do everything to find the best solution for them all, she added.

Meanwhile, the collection of donations for Ukrainians affected by the Russian military invasion started in Lithuania’s major cities on Sunday.

Lithuanian Red Cross said it did not expect so many people to turn up with donations.

“Yesterday, we made the announcement [about the collection] quite late in the day. We were afraid that people would not come on Sunday. But I can’t believe how many people are here,” Luka Lesauskaitė, a communication manager at the Red Cross, who was at the collection point in Vilnius, told LRT TV.

Lithuanians donate necessary items for Ukrainians | M. Gaučaitė-Znutienė/LRT

The collection was planned to continue until Tuesday but on Sunday, the Red Cross said it will stop accepting donations after Lithuanians filled 50 trucks with the necessary items in one day.

“The trucks will go to the logistics centre, and then, we will try to reach the people who are now in Ukraine, hiding in bunkers,” Lesauskaitė added.

The ministry of social security and labour and the Lithuanian Red Cross asked for blankets, pillows, bedding, sleeping bags, towels, warm clothes, and shoes suitable for the winter season.