1991 Storming of the television center in Vilnius

25 years ago, on January 13, 1991, Soviet troops stormed the TV center building in Vilnius. Citizens put up massive resistance to the assault. This day is celebrated in Lithuania as the Day of Defenders of Freedom.

As a result of the operation, carried out by units of the 7th Guards Airborne Division and the Alpha group, 14 people were killed - 13 civilians and one Alpha fighter who fell victim to "friendly fire". The resistance of tens of thousands of citizens gathered in the center of Vilnius led to the fact that the planned assault on the Supreme Council of Lithuania did not take place. Subsequently, both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR, as well as Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, denied that they had given the order to storm the television center. Gorbachev claimed that the Alfa fighters were shown an order written by hand in pencil in his name, which was then torn up. This version, however, does not inspire confidence in Lithuania.