Vilnius
Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
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- 5d ago
Pentagon asks Baltic states to soften Russia rhetoric; Estonia refuses
Reuters reported on Friday, 30 October 2026, citing four sources, that Pentagon officials asked Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to moderate public criticism of Moscow. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said he would not retract his remarks about Vladimir Putin.
- 6d ago
Lithuania charges two suspects with terrorism over attempted Starlink arson in Vilnius
Lithuanian prosecutors have charged two men, now held in Germany, with terrorism-related offences over the 18 October attempted arson at a Starlink site in Vilnius. Police link the case to Starlink fires in Poland and Bulgaria.
- 6d ago
Lithuania will introduce general conscription from 2032, pending parliament approval
The State Defence Council, chaired by President Gitanas Nauseda, agreed in Vilnius that men will be called up for general service from 2032. The change would lift annual call-ups from more than 5,000 to about 7,500, and the plan still needs parliament's approval.
- Oct 19
Bulgarian court issues arrest warrants for two German suspects in Starlink arson
The pair allegedly burned eight antennas on 9 October at a site south of Sofia, then left Bulgaria the same evening. The case comes amid similar attacks in Poland and Lithuania, where officials suspect Russia.
- Oct 19
Lithuania says Ukrainian drone with explosives flew in from Poland; Warsaw disputes it
A Ukrainian FPV drone carrying an explosive charge went off in northern Lithuania on Sunday, 18 October, damaging a civilian car. Vilnius says it entered from Polish airspace, while Polish defence officials say their radars did not confirm a crossing.
- Oct 9
US ambassador praises Kosiniak-Kamysz as Poland and Lithuania push for permanent US troops
Ambassador Tom Rose praised Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on social media, while PiS MP Marcin Ociepa questioned why plans for a permanent US base in Poland have not moved since last year.
- Oct 8
Lithuania to ask EU for ban on Russian grain transit and oligarch sanctions
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said on Thursday that Lithuania will push for an EU ban on Russian grain transit. Lithuania is also tightening checks on grain origin, and Estonia has banned such transit since 1 October.
- Oct 8
US pressures European allies and Canada to withdraw support for Vilnius disinformation summit
American diplomats successfully pushed Canada, Lithuania, and the European Union to drop their sponsorship of the Disinfo2026 conference in Vilnius over a panel examining Washington as an information threat.
- Oct 7
Armed smugglers clash with Latvian border guards before sabotaging surveillance cameras
Masked gunmen escorted at least 20 migrants toward the Latvian border and sabotaged monitoring equipment, prompting neighboring Lithuania to deploy troops along its Kaliningrad frontier.
- Oct 6
Lithuanian parliament votes 106-18 to lift constitutional ban on nuclear weapons
The Lithuanian Seimas approved a constitutional amendment in its first reading with 106 votes, opening the way to remove prohibitions on foreign military bases and weapons of mass destruction before a final vote in January 2027.
- Oct 6
EU and NATO leaders urge joint action following surge in Russian hybrid attacks and airspace incursions
European officials have demanded a unified strategy against escalating Russian sabotage and airspace violations following drone incursions across several European states.
- Oct 4
PKP SA begins 13.5 million PLN revamp of 19th-century Gronowo Elbląskie station
The 13.5 million PLN project will upgrade passenger amenities, add accessibility features, and house local municipal offices and a wedding hall by 2028.
- Oct 3
Lithuania lifts air alert and reopens Vilnius airport after suspected drone detection
Lithuanian authorities lifted a yellow air alert and reopened Vilnius airport on Saturday morning after NATO fighter jets scrambled to investigate an unidentified flying object suspected to have crossed from Belarus.
- Oct 2
Lithuania tests Ukrainian SkyFortress acoustic system to detect drones and missiles
Lithuanian defence authorities have begun testing Ukraine's SkyFortress surveillance platform, using artificial intelligence and acoustic sensors to track low-flying drones and cruise missiles following multiple Baltic airspace incursions.
- Oct 1
Germany to form first Bundeswehr drone regiment with 600 troops by 2027
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced the unit during tests at the Bergen training grounds, confirming plans for up to 600 personnel and 500-kilometre operating ranges.
- Oct 1
Poland extends border controls with Germany and Lithuania through March 2027
Poland has extended temporary checks on its borders with Germany and Lithuania for six months through 30 March 2027, maintaining selective inspections originally introduced in July 2025.
- Oct 1
Estonia bans Russian and Belarusian grain transit through Baltic ports
The Estonian government enacted national sanctions on 1 October prohibiting the transit of grain from Russia and Belarus, closing off potential alternative routes for Moscow.
- Oct 1
Russia launches 107 drones at Ukraine as ground forces stall around Lyman
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or jammed 87 incoming drones by 08:00, while overnight strikes injured two people across Kyiv and Odesa and killed a 50-year-old man in Mykolaiv.
- Oct 1
European officials assess Russian hybrid operations as sabotage and drone incidents expand
Security agencies in Europe have linked arson, GPS jamming, and drone incursions to a coordinated Russian campaign aimed at reducing European military support for Ukraine and testing NATO defences.
- Sep 30
US and Lithuanian Intelligence Warn Garry Kasparov and Russian Dissidents of Kremlin Assassination Plots
Security agencies in the United States and Lithuania notified Russian opposition activist Garry Kasparov and other exiled dissidents that they face active Kremlin-backed assassination plots.
