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."
Andriy Demchenko, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service, said that no changes have been recorded at the border with Belarus, despite statements about a combat readiness check of the Belarusian army. Intelligence and border detachments constantly monitor the situation to respond to risks in a timely manner.
In the first nine months of 2025, foreigners registered 1,648 sole proprietorships in Ukraine. The most active were citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Uzbekistan, with Russians most often ceasing operations.
In recent months, at least ten European countries have reported drone incursions into their airspace, raising concerns and leading to increased security measures. Romania, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, France, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, and Belgium have witnessed these incidents, some of which are linked to Russia.
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are developing emergency action plans that include the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in the event of a Russian military buildup or attack. This is a response to Russia's massive military spending and its invasion of Ukraine.
Leading Russian industrial companies, including railways, car manufacturers, and metallurgical enterprises, are reducing working weeks or sending employees on forced leave. This is happening due to the slowdown of the military economy, stagnation of domestic demand, and declining exports.
The European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Russia's violations of EU airspace and interference with infrastructure, demanding coordinated action and sanctions. The resolution calls for the creation of a European Defense Union and cooperation with Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that after Ukrainian strikes, Russia has a gasoline deficit of up to 20% of its needs, which led to a ban on gasoline and diesel exports. Russia has increased gasoline imports from Belarus sixfold and abolished import duties, and also imports fuel from China.
In September, Belarus quadrupled its rail shipments of gasoline to Russia, reaching 40,000 metric tons. This occurred amidst a fuel shortage in Russia, caused by Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure.
Lithuania is lowering the level of physical protection for Belarusian opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, transferring her protection to the Criminal Police Bureau. This decision, which came into force on October 1, was made based on a risk assessment and will allow for a review of security costs, which previously reached one million euros per year.
