Lithuania calls for limiting the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church due to the spread of Kremlin narratives. Church structures are used for intelligence and anti-Western propaganda.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda sustained a domestic injury on February 22. He underwent forearm surgery and spent the night in the hospital.
In February 2026, Lithuania began construction of a new railway line to the Rudninkai training ground. This will allow for the rapid transfer of heavy equipment and a German brigade, solving the problem of limited capacity on civilian roads.
Vilnius Airport suspended operations due to weather balloons from Belarus entering its airspace. This is already more than the tenth such incident since October 2025.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that Russia's attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine are war crimes. He called for criminal accountability for those who ordered and carried out these acts, emphasizing the need for ICC intervention.
The International Criminal Court has received a request to arrest Russian officials for strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The request came from Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya appealed to the Lithuanian government to restore transport links, emphasizing that isolation plays into the hands of the Lukashenka regime. She noted that closing borders harms ordinary citizens, not representatives of the regime.
In January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held 20 meetings and 14 telephone conversations, visiting France, Cyprus, Switzerland, and Lithuania. Following these contacts, Ukraine received NASAMS air defense missiles from Norway, the 31st package of military aid from Finland, and significant energy support from other partners.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is moving the headquarters of her "Free Belarus" party from Vilnius to Warsaw due to security threats. Some staff will remain in Vilnius, while Poland "supports the aspirations of Belarusians for democracy."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania handed a diplomatic note to Belarus over another incident involving the use of balloons to smuggle contraband. The large-scale launch of objects led to the Vilnius airport being closed three times and disrupted the plans of over 1,700 passengers.
Vilnius Airport suspended operations on January 27 due to suspected airspace violation by balloons from Belarus. This is not the first time the airport has been closed due to similar incidents.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Vilnius. They discussed support for Ukraine, the release of political prisoners, and a joint strategy on sanctions.
President Zelenskyy met with the presidents of Lithuania and Poland in Vilnius. Energy support, strengthening air defense, Ukraine's accession to the EU, and diplomatic work were discussed.
President Zelenskyy thanked Lithuanian volunteers and the Minister of Health for their assistance to Ukraine. The volunteers have raised 100 million euros in aid and plan to deliver 200 generators.
President Zelenskyy met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. They discussed support for the Ukrainian energy system and military cooperation.
Russia has intensified its attacks on energy infrastructure, other infrastructure, and residential buildings, using drones, aerial bombs, and missiles. Zelenskyy reported over 1,700 drones, 1,380 aerial bombs, and 69 missiles in a week.
Five men (four Ukrainians and one Russian) in Poland have been charged in a sabotage operation case. They attempted to send parcels with explosives to various countries, for which they face life imprisonment.
Estonia has begun the construction of the first five of 600 defensive bunkers on the border with the Russian Federation, which are to be built by the end of 2027. These structures are designed to protect soldiers from artillery shells and are part of the Baltic defense line against potential attacks.
Yuriy Kostyshyn, a 48-year-old photographer and serviceman known as "Kit Kharakternyk," died in battles for Ukraine's independence. He served in the 93rd and 44th brigades, participated in the defense of Kyiv, and had personal exhibitions of his front-line photographs.
The European Union has expanded sanctions against Belarus to include hybrid hostile actions against neighboring countries. The new criterion allows for restrictions to be imposed on companies and individuals involved in actions that threaten the EU's democracy, rule of law, stability, or security.
In November, Lithuania experienced 325 hostile information influences, almost double the norm, with 47% of attacks related to military topics. At the same time, physical hybrid threats are being recorded, including the launch of weather balloons from Belarus that violate Lithuanian airspace.
The Lithuanian government has declared a state of emergency throughout the country due to balloons from Belarus disrupting aviation. This will allow the military to receive special powers for more effective coordination of actions.
Vilnius Airport has suspended operations due to the launch of weather balloons from Belarus. Restrictions will be in effect from 18:06 to 21:05 local time; passengers are advised to contact their airlines.
Edinburgh Airport in the capital of Scotland suspended operations due to problems with the air traffic control computer system. This is Scotland's busiest airport, which served approximately 15.7 million passengers in 2024.
The Lithuanian government plans to declare a state of emergency due to the threat to public safety caused by an influx of contraband balloons. This disrupts the operation of Vilnius Airport, which has repeatedly suspended operations.
A Ukrainian citizen has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison in Lithuania for setting fire to an IKEA furniture store in Vilnius. He was also accused of illegal possession of explosives and ties to Russian military intelligence.
On November 23-24, Vilnius Airport twice imposed temporary airspace restrictions due to the appearance of navigation markers resembling balloon signals. This caused disruptions to airport operations and potential flight delays.
Ukraine has extradited Russian serviceman Margen Gadzhymagomedov to Lithuania for the first time. He is suspected of torturing prisoners, including a Lithuanian volunteer, at the airfield in Melitopol.
On November 21, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Dignity and Freedom in honor of the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity of 2013. The holiday was reinstated in 2014 after being canceled by Viktor Yanukovych.
On November 20, Vilnius Airport temporarily restricted its airspace due to a suspected balloon flyover, causing delays for over 1,100 passengers and about ten flights. The airport fully resumed operations around 7:55 PM local time.
