2026/04/14 by Arvydas Grišinas · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies #Gender, Security, and Conflict #Military, Security, and Education Studies
paper · doi:10.1080/01629778.2026.2657034
openalex publication_date 2026/04/14 · openalex created_date 2026/04/15 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The article examines the motivations and lived experiences of Lithuanian volunteers supporting Ukraine during Russia’s war of aggression. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and a survey, it introduces the concept of empathic fighting to describe a form of noncombatant volunteer engagement that combines emotional identification, historical memory, and civic responsibility. The study highlights how this decentralized, volunteer-driven network not only supports Ukraine’s war effort but also reshapes civic identity and national self-understanding in Lithuania. Volunteering emerges as both a moral response and a political act, offering insight into how war is experienced and enacted far beyond the front lines.