- by croatiaweek
- September 3, 2026
- in
(Photo: MORH/ J. Šeri)
ZAGREB, 3 September 2026 – Three members of the Croatian Armed Forces have been honoured for their actions in Lithuania, where they rescued an injured man from a burning vehicle following a serious road accident.
Croatia’s Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Anušić presented medals to Corporals Tino Ćuković and Lovro Kovačević, members of Croatia’s 6th contingent in Lithuania. Police officer Leon Zubović, who was also involved in the rescue, received the same distinction but was unable to attend the ceremony at the Ministry of Defence.
The medals are awarded to members of the Croatian Armed Forces who use skills and knowledge gained through military training to assist civilians when lives are at risk.
(Photo: MORH/ J. Šeri)
The incident occurred in May on the Kaunas–Jonava road, near the village of Marinauka. The three Croatian personnel came across a serious traffic accident in which a man was trapped in a vehicle that had caught fire.
Working together, they managed to remove the injured man from the burning car and provide first aid before emergency services arrived. Ćuković is trained and certified in first aid, which helped the group respond quickly at the scene.
(Photo: MORH/ J. Šeri)
During the ceremony, Minister Anušić thanked the soldiers for their professionalism, composure and humanitarian response.
He said their actions had saved a human life and demonstrated how military training can be applied in emergency situations outside the battlefield.
Anušić also said the soldiers had further enhanced the reputation of the Croatian contingent in Lithuania and the professional and humanitarian reputation of the Croatian Armed Forces.
(Photo: MORH/ J. Šeri)
Ćuković and Kovačević later described how they and Zubović came upon the crash and worked to free the injured man from the burning vehicle before providing assistance until emergency responders arrived.
(Photo: MORH/ J. Šeri)
The Croatian Defence Ministry said the incident highlighted the readiness, training and professionalism of Croatian Armed Forces personnel, as well as their ability to respond to emergencies and assist people in need wherever they are deployed.