In Lithuania, protesters dye pond near Russian Embassy blood-red for Russia's war crimes

Lithuania, which has repeatedly chastised Russia for its unjustified attacks on Ukraine has dyed a pond near the Russian Embassy in Vilnius with 'blood-red' colour on Wednesday to protest against the Russian aggression. The red colour symbolises the death and destruction caused by Russian forces in the war-ravaged Ukraine. As per the reports of the Baltic Times, Julija Samorokovskaja, who is a spokesman for Vilnius County Police stated that the protest has been coordinated with environmental protection officials and that the dye was safe.

Vilnius Municipality spokesperson Paulius Vaitekenas said that the protest was an artistic performance meant to attract attention to Russia's war crimes around the world. He also spoke about how the River Vilnia was once dyed green on St Patrick's Day and compared it to the pond that has been dyed blood-red. Rūta Meilutytė, a Lithuanian Olympic champion who swam through the red-dyed pond shared a video of the pond on Twitter, stating, "The performance 'Swimming Through' is a call for action in support of the Ukrainian people who are facing genocide committed by Russia."

Rūta Meilutytė swimming in the red pond represents Ukraine's continuous efforts

Rūta Meilutytė swimming in the red pond represents the continuous efforts and the desire of Ukrainians to fight, according to campaigners. She stated that it is essential not to overlook the heinous acts of violence against Ukrainians, as well as the harrowing photos that have surfaced as a result, according to the TJ journal.

The Lithuanian government ordered the Russian ambassador to leave the country on Monday, resulting in a downgrade of diplomatic relations with Moscow, according to Euractiv. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated that the country expresses its complete support for Ukraine and the people of Ukraine, who are victims of Russia's unprecedented attacks and as a result, they are reducing Russia's diplomatic presence. He further said that the government also closed down the Russian Consulate General in Klaipeda in response to Russia's aggression towards Ukraine.

Thousands of Ukrainians have been killed

Russia invaded Ukraine more than a month ago. Since then, thousands of Ukrainians have been killed, and millions more have been forced to flee the nation due to the conflict. There are more stories of Ukrainian residents being tortured by Russian troops in regions where the Kremlin's army has temporarily taken control.

Image: Facebook/@Gintarė Urbšytė