Lithuanian volunteer soldier claims military leadership called him “toxic” and discouraged cooperation

Lithuanian volunteer soldier Arūnas Kumpis has accused the country’s military leadership of labeling him and fellow deminer Rimas Armaitis as “toxic” and instructing defense personnel to avoid engaging with them, according to a post on his Facebook page. The Lithuanian Armed Forces deny the claims, stating they maintain active cooperation with Ukrainian military partners and veterans.

In a detailed social media post on Tuesday, Kumpis alleged that the Ministry of National Defence and military leadership had long held a negative view of Ukrainian war veterans, referring to them as “low-level tactical specialists” and “Ukrainized war experts.” He claimed that in late February 2022, before deploying to the front, he received a letter from the then-head of the Lithuanian Volunteer Forces warning against using Lithuanian military insignia in Ukraine to avoid “dragging Lithuania into war.”

Kumpis further stated that military representatives had contacted TV hosts to criticize their invitations to him and Armaitis for interviews. He also asserted that a recent internal message, reportedly sent last Friday, explicitly discouraged defense personnel from inviting or communicating with the two veterans. “If true, this is a true masterpiece of our military’s communication,” he wrote.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces responded to an inquiry from LRT.lt, emphasizing their ongoing collaboration with Ukrainian forces, military experts, and veterans. While acknowledging Kumpis’ contributions—including his review of drone-related training materials—they denied issuing any directive to avoid contact with him or Armaitis.

“The Chief of Defence consistently highlights the importance of partnership,” the statement read, adding that operational details of such cooperation are not typically disclosed publicly.