Vilnius
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.
Lithuania is reopening two border crossings with Belarus that were temporarily closed due to smuggler weather balloon flights. The government's decision comes after a reduction in airspace incidents, which previously led to the closure of Vilnius Airport.
European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius stated that Ukrainian troops could be deployed to defend the EU's eastern borders from Russia after the end of hostilities. He noted that the Ukrainian army has the most experienced military personnel in Europe.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated in Vilnius that Europe is not ready to detect and destroy Russian drones with economically effective means. He emphasized the need to include Ukraine in the common defense.
Latvia and Estonia are ready to show solidarity with Vilnius over Belarusian contraband balloons, said Lithuanian Prime Minister Ruginiene. Poland has already joined Lithuania, refusing to open its borders with Belarus.
Air traffic at Vilnius Airport was temporarily halted at 8:45 PM due to a threat from a weather balloon. The airport resumed operations at 9:50 PM, which was a record-breaking quick recovery.
Vilnius Airport was temporarily closed due to an unknown drone, which turned out to be a civilian drone. The airspace was reopened at 10:18 local time.
In October 2025, Lithuania recorded 275 attempts of illegal border crossing from Belarus, almost half of which occurred in the last five days of the month. This is a record for the last six months, which happened after the closure of checkpoints due to drone cigarette smuggling.
Lithuanian authorities temporarily closed the airspace over Vilnius due to balloons from Belarus, which was the sixth such incident in October. This led to two flights being turned back and increased control at the border with Belarus.