Belarus
Ukraine supported Lithuania over Belarusian provocations and airspace incursions, which caused disruptions to civil aviation. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called Lukashenka's actions hybrid attacks by the Russian Federation against Europe.
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 Oreshnik complex with hypersonic missiles to be deployed in Belarus in December.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the consideration of opening the Bobrowniki-Berestovitsa and Kuźnica-Bruzgi crossings, which were closed in 2023 and 2021. This decision is "trial" and possible due to enhanced border security.
This refers to the corporate rights of OJSC "Gomselmash" in three Ukrainian companies - LLC "Trading House Gomselmash-Ukraine", LLC "Trading House MTZ-Belarus-Ukraine" and LLC "Promin-Yug".
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó was in Minsk on Tuesday, where he used Russian in his speech during the Eurasian conference. The Budapest representative met with the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, after which he announced Russia's openness to a summit with the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv is ready for peace talks with Russia, ruling out any territorial concessions. He emphasized that negotiations could take place anywhere except Russia or Belarus.
20,502 foreign students study in Ukrainian higher education institutions, most of them from China and Azerbaijan. Over 400 Russian citizens also receive education in Ukrainian universities.
The European Union has supported Lithuania in connection with regular flights of contraband balloons from Belarus. President of the European Council António Costa assured of full solidarity with the people of Lithuania and called on Belarus to cease hybrid activities.
Lithuania calls on the EU to impose new sanctions against Belarus after the flight of contraband balloons. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys called it part of the Belarusian regime's hybrid warfare.
Lithuania will start shooting down smuggler balloons from Belarus that have repeatedly violated the country's airspace. This decision was made after Vilnius airport was closed four times due to such incidents.
Lithuania has temporarily closed the "Šalčininkai" and "Medininkai" border crossings with Belarus due to balloon flights. Vilnius International Airport has also suspended operations until morning.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated the need to consider restricting transit to Kaliningrad and a long-term closure of the border with Belarus. This is a response to a hybrid attack against Lithuania, which included the shutdown of airports due to balloons from Belarus.
On the evening of October 24, Lithuania closed two of its largest airports and border crossing points with Belarus. This happened due to air balloons flying from the Belarusian side.
Russian troops attacked Odesa region for the first time with modernized KABs with jet engines. Military expert Vladyslav Selezniov stated that Kyiv is not currently under threat, but the situation could change.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the country is working on how to circumvent US sanctions against Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft.
Electronic Arts has restricted access to its games for users in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia regions and Crimea. The reason given is sanctions and embargoes, although the cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are controlled by Ukraine.
The Official Journal of the EU has published the content of the 19th sanctions package, adopted on October 23. The restrictions apply to 116 vessels of the "shadow fleet" and 44 legal entities from various countries, including Russia, Hong Kong, China, India, and Thailand.
Two journalists, Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli, imprisoned in Belarus and Georgia, have been awarded the 2025 Sakharov Prize. They were recognized for their freedom of thought and for speaking out against injustice while imprisoned on fabricated charges.
Traffic at Vilnius Airport was temporarily suspended on October 21 due to dozens of balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes from Belarus. Eight flights were diverted to Kaunas and Warsaw.
The Council of the International Ski Federation (FIS) has banned athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in qualifying competitions for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. This decision makes their participation impossible even in a neutral status.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports that Russian and Belarusian athletes who visited the occupied territories of Ukraine continue to participate in international competitions under a neutral status. Among them are Elena Kirillova, Alsu Minazova, Alina Harnasko, Yana Sotieva, Regina Shaidullina, and Anastasia Romanova.
Officers of the Podlaskie Border Guard Unit of Poland discovered an underground tunnel under the barrier on the Polish-Belarusian border. The tunnel started on the territory of Belarus and ended 20 meters from the border on the Polish side.
Belarusian diplomat Yury Ambrazevich is holding meetings with representatives of European countries, trying to resume dialogue with the West. This is happening against the backdrop of intensified contacts between the US and Belarus.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian delegation were surprised by US President Donald Trump's conversation with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin about a meeting in Hungary. Zelenskyy learned about it after arriving at Andrews Air Force Base in the US.
Ukraine is monitoring the situation regarding the threat from Belarus, not recording a significant increase in troops, as confirmed by MP Yehor Cherniev. The use of Belarusian territory for air strikes is possible, but it is not a new threat to the north of Ukraine.
Former Russian Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for organizing illegal air travel to occupied Crimea. He also ensured the movement of Russian military equipment.
President Zelenskyy received a report from the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleh Ivashchenko. It discusses the effectiveness of sanctions against the Russian Federation and Russia's plans regarding Belarus.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine states that new detentions in Belarus are aimed at creating an "exchange fund" for Lukashenka. This will allow him to buy indulgences in exchange for innocent people imprisoned in the framework of the "Hayun Case."