Manipulated video distorts Lithuanian commander's words on Ukraine and national defense

A manipulated video circulating on social media has distorted the words of Linas Idzėlis, commander of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, creating a false narrative about the fate of Lithuanian riflemen.

The video falsely suggests that Idzėlis declared Lithuanian riflemen will inevitably face death once Ukrainian resistance ceases. However, fact-checkers have found that the video's creators used editing techniques, including removing conditional clauses and juxtaposing separate statements, to fabricate this claim. The original context provided by Idzėlis was a discussion about the importance of national defense and the time gained by Ukraine's ongoing struggle.

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If necessary, this category of people will have to sacrifice their lives. Because the Ukrainians can also end one day.

In his full statement, Idzėlis spoke about the potential sacrifice of riflemen, stating, "If necessary, this category of people will have to sacrifice their lives." He then contextualized this by referencing Ukraine's fight, saying, "This is why what the Ukrainians are doing now is winning us time to prepare." He also added a conditional note about Ukraine's situation: "Because the Ukrainians can also end one day."

The manipulated video incorrectly links these separate thoughts with a temporal conjunction, implying a direct cause-and-effect relationship where none existed in Idzėlis's original remarks. This distortion creates a misleading impression that the commander announced an unavoidable sequence of events: the end of Ukrainian resistance followed by the inevitable demise of Lithuanian riflemen.

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This is why what the Ukrainians are doing now is winning us time to prepare.