Aurimas Pechauskas, the former Minister of Health of Lithuania, has arrived in the combat zone in Donetsk to work alongside Ukrainian medics in treating the wounded. This is reported by the Lithuanian media LRT.
This marks Pechauskas' third mission to Ukraine. His first visit was as a minister to hospitals in Poltava, Lviv, and Kyiv, and his second time he served as a physician at the Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipropetrovsk.
This time, he came to Ukraine as a volunteer with the Lithuanian NGO Blue / Yellow. He mentioned that he worked near the front lines in Donetsk with mobile surgical teams.
Afterward, Pechauskas spent several days with TacMed Ukraine, assisting in evacuation efforts. He also brought medical equipment purchased by Lithuanian organizations for Ukraine.
The former minister expressed his decision to come to Ukraine was driven by professional curiosity as an anesthesiologist-resuscitator, but also a sense of responsibility.
“While Ukraine is at war, we have time to prepare. Therefore, it is our duty to learn from their experiences, so we know what to do if needed. Now is not the time to hide from potential problems. There certainly won’t be time to learn when that problem arises,” the Lithuanian official emphasized.
He stressed the need to “bring this experience back to Lithuania — not only to doctors but also to those planning the readiness of the healthcare system for future threats.”
Earlier, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė announced that in 2026, the country will allocate 5.38% of its GDP for defense, which amounts to 4.79 billion euros.