Lithuania is temporarily closing two border crossings with Belarus, Medininkai and Šalčininkai, for a month, starting on Wednesday. Exceptions will apply to diplomats, EU citizens, and other categories, while Šalčininkai will be completely closed and Medininkai partially open.
The European Union has condemned Belarus for provocative actions after balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes forced Lithuania to close airports. The EU warned of possible further sanctions but refrained from directly accusing the Lukashenka regime due to Hungary's objections.
Russia's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said the war in Ukraine could end within the next year. He announced this after meetings with representatives of Donald Trump's administration in the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Russians are increasing the audacity of their strikes, and that steps such as US sanctions against Russian oil companies are needed to curb Russian audacity. He reacted to Russia's attack on a children's hospital in Kherson, which resulted in casualties among staff and children.
