Suddenly you could hear the roar of tanks and shots were fired at the tower. The tanks didn't come from the side were there had been intense firing earlier. Rather, they came from the other side of the hill, from the grove, where it had been quiet. They broke through the fence which enclosed the grounds and quickly surrounded the tower. Along with the tanks came personnel carriers -packed with paratroopers. The paratroopers were wearing helmets and bullet-proof vests. With their sub-machine guns they shot at the lamps, some of which were still lit near the tower. Then, firing into the air, they approached our circle along with the tanks. We stood there, holding hands and chanting: „Shame, shame, shame!" When the windows of the tower shattered and the fragments started falling on us, our circle divided into two parts: the smaller part stayed by the wall of the tower because they were protected by the ceiling; the first row - which I was in - moved a few steps forward, not letting go of each others' hands. Approaching us was a row of tanks and paratroopers who were continually shooting into the air, while some were shooting downward at our legs.
I didn't see where the paratroopers managed to break through our circle. I just suddenly noticed that the tanks were no longer in front of us, but behind us. They were coming from the side and pushing our people. Women and children started to run from the tanks which were coming straight at them. The people started moving in a chaotic way - they rushed into each other, and some of the people running stumbled and fell. Some tried to block the tanks' path, but others, realizing the futility of such a sacrifice, pulled them to the side. Joining hands, we stood in front of a huge tank which was crawling right in front of our noses. I had barely managed to save my leg from its track when I heard a cry from the left. Turning my head, I saw a woman (or perhaps it was a girl). The shadow of the tank made it difficult to see her face, but I noticed that she was wearing a light-colored shawl or cap, a light scarf and a dark or gray coat, and was lying flat on her back. Her legs were under the tracks of the tank. Men were trying to push the tank so they could pull the victim our from under it, but their attempts to conquer this huge mass (this was a big tank, not a light one) were unsuccessful. I started pounding my fists on the top of the tank, shouting in Russian that there was a woman under the tank. An angry paratrooper approached me, and using the most vulgar language imaginable, gave me a hard jab in the back, kicked me in the stomach, and threw me from the tank. The tank drove away from the woman, but before moving forward it moved back a little and crushed the woman even more. Some men snatched the injured woman up and carried her off. Meanwhile we heard shots coming from the right. A para¬trooper wearing a helmet shot at a man. He fell down and was also carried away from the tower into the darkness. Standing in our row was a young man, handsomely sporting a paratrooper uniform with medals on his chest. He jumped out in front of the tank and fell to his knees shouting: „Bratcy, što vy delajete! Streliajete svoich! Ja že svami služil! My daže na Afgane tak ne delali. Davite i menia!" („Brothers, what are you doing? You're shooting your own! I served with you! Even in Afghanistan we didn't do such things! Crush me too, then!") A paratrooper jumped towards him. lt seemed that he didn't have time to kick him because our men pulled him back into the line. He stood there and wept. Large tears were rolling down his cheeks.
Again we joined hands and started to chant: „Lithuania! Lithuania! Lithuania will be free!"
A red flare flashed and then a command was heard: „Očistit teritorijų!" („CIear the territory!") Helmeted paratroopers, joined by some tank drivers without helmets, jumped at us, aiming their sub-machine guns at our faces and shouting: „Nazad, šire šag!" („Back, a bigger step!"). Jumping towards me, a paratroopers pointed his sub-machine gun and fired right by my ear. And then a tank gun resounded from the left. A cloud of dense smoke rose. There was a ringing sound in my head, and the bitter smoke burned my nose and throat. Then tanks came towards us and started to chase people among the trees. The para¬troopers were shooting and shooting, coarsely cursing and repeating: „Vot vam svoboda i nezavisimost!" („Here's freedom and independence for you!")
Lithuania, 1991.01.13 : documents, testimonies, comments. - Vilnius : State Publishing Center, 1992, p. 104-106.