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.
Germany plans to purchase up to 12,000 kamikaze drones from startups Helsing, Stark, and defense giant Rheinmetall for approximately 300 million euros. These drones are intended for the German brigade in Lithuania, which will defend NATO's eastern flank against Russia.
On October 28, Polish fighters intercepted a Russian Il-20 aircraft over the Baltic Sea, which was performing a reconnaissance mission with its transponder turned off. The aircraft did not violate Polish airspace, but NATO countries on the eastern flank are on high alert.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania, Juozas Olekas. They discussed joint weapons production, Ukraine's European integration, and increased sanctions pressure on Russia.
Spain's Alicante-Elche Airport has reopened after a two-hour closure due to a drone sighting, causing delays for thousands of passengers. Ten international flights were diverted to other airports.
Five flights with British tourists were diverted after a drone was spotted near Alicante Airport. A total of ten international flights changed their routes, causing delays for about a thousand travelers.
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.
Companies from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are involved in a large-scale scheme to supply fuel to Russia's shadow fleet, having carried out 286 refueling operations. This activity is a gross violation of the sanctions regime, undermining the effectiveness of Western restrictions.
A new DNA study of Napoleon Bonaparte's soldiers has revealed previously undocumented diseases, such as paratyphoid and relapsing fever, which affected the failure of the French troops in 1812. These infections, along with cold and hunger, led to the mass deaths of soldiers in the Russian Empire.
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.
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Jonas Vytautas Žukas claims that Angela Merkel pressured Ukrainians regarding Crimea in 2014. This information was published in his book and caused outrage in Lithuania.
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.
Two Russian aircraft, a Su-30 and an Il-78, violated Lithuanian airspace for 18 seconds, flying 700 meters near Kybartai. The country's security level has not changed, and Lithuanian services and NATO allies reacted appropriately.
Two Russian military aircraft from the Kaliningrad region violated Lithuanian airspace for 18 seconds. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda called it a blatant violation of international law.
The European Union is preparing its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, for the first time including two independent Chinese oil refineries and one trading company. These entities are involved in circumventing Western restrictions, increasing pressure on Beijing.
Lithuania denounced the agreement with Russia on mutual travel of citizens, concluded in 2002, due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the irrelevance of the agreement. Its operation was suspended after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In the second quarter of 2025, housing prices in the EU increased by 5. 4%, and rents by 3.2% compared to the same quarter of 2024. London and Paris remain leaders in the highest rental prices.
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.
Lithuania and eight other NATO countries are organizing the training and equipping of a Ukrainian brigade in Poland, supplying weapons and equipment. The initiative involves training servicemen according to NATO standards and strengthening support for Ukraine in long-range operations.
Polish and Romanian law enforcement officers exposed Ukrainian citizens who worked for Russia and planned a series of sabotages in Europe, sending explosives via "Nova Poshta" (New Post).
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė announced her resignation after Prime Minister Inga Rugienienė publicly expressed doubts about her leadership. Šakalienė stated that it is impossible to work in an environment of distrust.
Ukraine's allies are seeking to strengthen its position ahead of Trump-Putin talks, fearing a bad deal. They are preparing a support package that includes funding, weapons, and new sanctions against Russia, and plan to involve Zelenskyy in any negotiations.
Cyprus criminalizes the provision of economic resources to sanctioned individuals, which may include accounts in sanctioned Russian banks for Russians with Cypriot passports. This is the implementation of a European Parliament directive, which only seven EU countries had implemented by May 20.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces have received the first UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters ordered from the United States in 2020. These helicopters will enhance the tactical mobility and combat support of the country's ground forces.
Over 30,000 participants from 150 countries gathered at SBC Summit Lisbon 2025 to discuss trends in the gaming industry. The Ukrainian delegation studied the experience of player protection and problem gambling prevention for the implementation of a national program.
Ukraine, together with nine Scandinavian and Baltic countries, is launching an initiative to train and equip Ukrainian military personnel. The program provides for the training of units, the supply of weapons, and the strengthening of defense cooperation.
