The Case of Fake Letters: Lithuanian Defence Ministry denies asking citizens to join army, fight in Ukraine 

Vilnius: Lithuanian citizens have been allegedly receiving fake conscription letters asking them to join the army and fight in Ukraine. The Lithuanian National Radio and Television cited the country’s defence ministry saying that Lithuanians are being called up to join the Grand Hetman Kostiantyn Ostrogski Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade, the country’s armed force. The Defence Ministry, however, has denied sending any letters to citizens. Authorities have asked people to stay vigilant. “The offenders are using a new, specially created, domain, kariuomene[.]com, to disseminate this information. They are issuing letters stating that Lithuanian citizens are being conscripted into the army, and after their service, they will be sent to fight in Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement. The Defence Ministry also noted that similar fake information related to military conscription has been shared on Russian websites. Meanwhile, Lithuanians are not alone in receiving such letters. Polish people have also been sent out letters asking them to join the army. For the unversed, the Grand Hetman Kostiantyn Ostrogski Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade was created in 2014. It includes armed personnel from Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine and contains a total of 4,500 soldiers. Lithuania’s connection with fake letters an old news In 2020, Lithuania encountered another episode where the Defence Ministry announced that it had received an email purportedly sent by NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The email contained the shocking revelation of NATO’s withdrawal of troops from the country. The fabricated narratives about the organisation included, “the purpose of NATO has changed and NATO’s existence now endangers NATO allies.” Another such information said that NATO members behaved inappropriately in public places. What is Lithuania’s stance on the war? Lithuania, a former Soviet Union nation, is a small country of about 2.8 million people. When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Lithuania realised that it could be next. And that is the reason why, according to the official website of the European Union, the country stands with Kyiv. Several people have been protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since last year. Even though most of its people speak only Russian, Lithuanians find the war a “madness.” Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook_,_  Twitter and  Instagram_._