Conflict episode
January Events, 1991
Soviet forces stormed the Vilnius TV tower and broadcasting centre on the night of 12-13 January 1991, killing 14 unarmed civilians and wounding hundreds, in the bloodiest attempt to reverse Lithuania's restoration of independence.
What happened
Following economic sanctions imposed through 1990 and the movement of Soviet troops into parts of Vilnius, Moscow sent additional military forces on 8 January 1991 to reassert control. On the night of 12-13 January 1991, Soviet military and KGB forces stormed the Vilnius TV tower and broadcasting centre, ramming tanks into unarmed civilians who had gathered to defend the buildings and firing on the crowd; 14 civilians were killed and hundreds wounded. The failure of Soviet forces to fully reassert control amid fierce civilian resistance is widely seen as having exposed the weakening grip of Soviet power over Lithuania.[1]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: Following economic sanctions Moscow imposed on Lithuania through 1990, Soviet military and KGB forces stormed the Vilnius TV tower and broadcasting centre on the night of 12-13 January 1991, ramming tanks into unarmed civilians and firing on the crowd; 14 civilians were killed and hundreds wounded. The failure of Soviet forces to fully reassert control amid civilian resistance is widely seen as having exposed the weakening grip of Soviet power over Lithuania.
- Thirty Years After Soviet Crackdown In Lithuania, Kremlin Accused Of Rewriting History (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) link, article text. Source record