Lithuania

Lithuania capital airport closes again over balloons

Lithuania's Vilnius airport said on Sunday it had temporarily halted operations due to suspected balloons in its airspace, the latest in a series of flight disruptions in the Baltic nation.…

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Lithuania’s Vilnius airport closes again due to balloons

Lithuania's Vilnius airport said on Sunday it had temporarily halted operations due to balloons moving towards its airspace, diverting some incoming flights to other cities. "Attention: Vilnius Airport operations have…

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Lithuania shuts Vilnius airport, Belarus border in fourth airspace incident this week

NATO member Lithuania closed Vilnius Airport and Belarus border crossings on Sunday after several objects, identified as likely helium balloons, entered its airspace, the National Crisis Management Centre said, the…

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Russian aircraft cross into Lithuanian airspace

A Russian fighter jet and a refueling aircraft briefly crossed into Lithuanian airspace from the Kaliningrad region on Thursday evening, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said. Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda condemned…

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Vilnius Expands Human-Centered Street Redesigns

Vilnius continues to redesign streets around residents’ needs, moving past early political controversy, with 37 streets scheduled for transformation between 2025 and 2027, city officials said. Urban planners stress that…

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Baltic states plan for mass evacuations in case of a Russian attack

Alarmed by Russia's vast military spending since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the three Baltic states are drawing up contingency plans to deal with the possibility of hundreds of thousands…

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Turkey deploys warning plane to Lithuania under NATO measures after Russian airspace violations

Turkey temporarily deployed a warning and control aircraft to Lithuania as part of NATO security measures, the defence ministry said on Thursday, following repeated airspace violations by Russian drones. Lithuania,…

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Lithuania says it busted Russian-linked network that planned terror attacks in Europe

Lithuanian prosecutors said they uncovered a network of suspects who planned to carry out four terrorist attacks across Europe, using parcel services to send incendiary explosives hidden in everyday items.…

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Lithuania Trains Youth in Drone Operations Along Russia Border

On the border with Russia, Lithuania's Defence Ministry has launched the first of what will be nine schools around the country teaching children as young as 10 and adults how…

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Lithuania Heightens Security as Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace and Zapad Drills Begin

Lithuanian authorities placed the country’s air raid alert system on standby and reinforced border security this week amid mounting regional tensions caused by Russian drone incursions into NATO territory and…

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Vilnius Airport temporarily suspends flights after ‘unidentified object’ detected

Flights at Vilnius Airport were briefly suspended Tuesday morning after air traffic controllers reported detecting a flying object, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre said. The suspension was introduced as a…

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Lithuania presses EU to act on Ukraine as Hungary blocks accession

As tensions between Budapest and Kyiv flare again, hopes are fading that Hungary will lift its veto on the start of Ukraine’s European Union accession talks. Lithuania, however, is urging…

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Lithuania Appoints Trade Union Veteran Inga Ruginienė as Prime Minister

Lithuania’s parliament on Tuesday confirmed Inga Ruginienė — a longtime trade union leader and relative newcomer to politics — as the country’s new prime minister, following the resignation of Gintautas…

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Kyiv’s supporters must be ‘prepared’ to deploy forces to Ukraine – Lithuania’s president

The Lithuanian president says countries of the so-called “coalition of the willing” need to be prepared to deploy forces to Ukraine. Gitanas Nausėda took part in the meeting of the…

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Lithuania’s prime minister quits after pressure over business ties to sister-in-law

Lithuania's Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Thursday he would resign, after facing pressure to do so over his business ties to a company owned by his sister-in-law. Paluckas in…

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Lithuania Mulls Airspace Closures Amid Rising Drone Incursions from Belarus

Lithuanian authorities are actively considering partial airspace closures to counter the increasing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) entering the country illegally from Belarus, Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said…

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Drone from Belarus breaches Lithuanian airspace

An unidentified drone has entered Lithuania from Belarus, the country's authorities said on Monday morning. Residents in parts of the country received phone alert messages warning about the aircraft, which…

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Busy week for NATO in the Baltics

Last week, on 16-22 June, NATO jets conducting the Baltic Air Policing Mission in Lithuania were scrambled 7 times to identify and escort Russian military aircraft that violated international airspace.…

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Lithuanian cities prepare their defences

A new defence infrastructure park dubbed the Vilnius Shield has been unveiled in the Lithuanian capital. According to Mayor Valdas Benkunskas, the site contains anti-tank barriers and other equipment that…

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Lithuania Told to Boost Civic Readiness: Focus on Schools and Inclusive Defence Training

Knowledge of national defence needs to be strengthened among schoolchildren, and civil resistance training for adults should cover a wider area of the country and be adapted for people with…

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Lithuania opposes EU proposal for annual inspections of older cars

Lithuania has voiced opposition to a European Commission proposal that would require annual technical inspections for cars older than 10 years, citing the country’s ageing vehicle fleet and calling for…

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Lithuania faces growing risk of drought and extreme weather

Once known for its excess rainfall, Lithuania is increasingly becoming a land of water shortages, raising concerns of potentially dangerous or even extreme droughts this summer, according to meteorologist Gytis…

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We want ‘more lethal’ NATO, says Lithuanian FM

Lithuania wants a stronger, better prepared and “more lethal” NATO, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys says, adding that the goal is to make decisions to achieve this during the upcoming NATO…

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Lithuania to deploy troops to Belarus border amid increase of migrants

Lithuania will deploy additional military personnel to its border with Belarus in response to a rise in the number of irregular migrants attempting to cross from the neighbouring country. “We’ve…

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Mystery over 4 US soldiers missing in Lithuania

NATO chief Mark Rutte had said four US troops were killed during a training exercise. However, NATO later clarified that the soldiers are still missing and their fate remains unknown.…

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Lithuania and Poland Bolster Civil and Military Preparedness Amid Russian Threat

As tensions with Russia escalate, Lithuania and Poland are intensifying their civil and military readiness. Both nations, deeply influenced by the war in Ukraine, are taking proactive measures to strengthen…

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Lithuania Considers Troop Deployment to Ukraine

If Ukraine requested the deployment of troops from some Western countries, including Lithuania, Vilnius would discuss the issue with allies, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys has said. “We’d talk with our…

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Lithuania’s Defence Ministry finalizes conscription list for 2025 identifying 25,000 young men

The Lithuanian Defence Ministry has finalized the list of conscripts for 2025, identifying 25,149 young men eligible for mandatory military service. The process, initiated by Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė with…

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Lithuania’s new government takes office amid controversy over antisemitism

Lithuania's new centre-left government took office on Thursday, led by Social Democrat Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and including a party whose leader is on trial accused of antisemitic statements. Paluckas'…

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Lithuanian President warns threat level to Lithuania is rising

"The level of threats is clearly rising and I would say in an accelerating trajectory. We have seen various kinds of incidents. So far, we cannot confirm the link between…

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Lithuania ready to offer refuge to Georgian president

Lithuania is ready to offer refuge to Georgia’s pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili if she had to flee her country, Asta Skaisgirytė, President Gitanas Nausėda’s chief foreign policy adviser, said. “Lithuania…

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Lithuania leans towards technical cause for DHL plane crash

Lithuania is leaning towards a technical cause for the crash on Monday of a DHL cargo plane as it came in to land at Vilnius airport, the country's National Crisis…

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Lithuanian DHL plane crash could be sabotage, German foreign minister says

Authorities must “seriously” consider whether a cargo plane crash in Lithuania was an act of “hybrid” warfare, Germany’s foreign minister said. A DHL cargo plane flying from Leipzig, Germany, to…

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UPDATED: DHL cargo plane crashes near Vilnius airport

A DHL cargo plane crashed near Lithuania’s Vilnius airport on Monday at about 0330 GMT, killing one person and injuring two others, airport, police and firefighter officials told Reuters. The…

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Incendiary parcels sent from Lithuania as part of Russian covert operation

The incendiary devices sent from Lithuania on DHL planes in the summer were part of a Russian covert operation, the Wall Street Journal reports. In July, one device caused a…

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Lithuania leftist opposition win election, eyes coalition

The opposition Social Democrats claimed victory in Lithuania's parliamentary election on Sunday, which was dominated by frustration with the cost of living and worries over potential threats from neighbouring Russia.…

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Social Democrat leader expects to become Lithuania’s PM after election win

The leader of Lithuania's main opposition Social Democrats said on Monday she expected to become the next prime minister of the frontline NATO member state after her party won most…

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Lithuanian government approves 114-euro minimum wage rise

On Wednesday, Lithuania’s cabinet of ministers decided to increase the minimum monthly wage by 114 euros, to 1,038 before tax. Next year, minimum wage earners will see their disposable income…

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Latvia asks Lithuania’s assistance in policing its border with Belarus

Latvia has asked Lithuania to send 10–15 border guards to help it handle irregular migration on its border with Belarus. “Latvia has asked for 10–15 officers. And this is the…

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New new heat record set in Lithuania

A new heat record was set in Lithuania last Friday as the mercury rose to 34 degrees centigrade in the southern resort town of Druskininkai, the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service reports.…

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New rules in Lithuania for registration of foreign tourists from July

Rules for registering tourists in Lithuania are set to change as of 1 July this year. Guests arriving in the country will need to be registered in the National Tourism…

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Lithuania raps Hungary over hold-ups in EU military aid to Ukraine

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis lashed out at Hungary on Monday for blocking European Union decisions on foreign affairs, including military aid for Ukraine, and said the bloc had to…

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Lithuanian Nauseda calls victory in presidential election

Lithuanian Gitanas Nauseda announced his re-election in a presidential ballot on Sunday, following a campaign dominated by security concerns in the European Union and NATO member next door to Russia.…

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Lithuania votes in presidential election 2nd round

Lithuanians headed to the polls on Sunday for the decisive second round of the presidential election, as incumbent president Gitanas Nausėda vied for another five-year term against prime minister Ingrida…

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Lithuanian border guards to be equipped with heavy weapons

Lithuanian border guards will be equipped with heavy weapons, Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė announced. “The Defence Ministry will contribute to equipping border guards with heavy weapons,” Bilotaitė told reporters at…

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Lithuania minister says Western military trainers could go to Ukraine

Lithuania’s foreign minister has raised the prospect of an ad hoc coalition of western countries sending military training personnel into Ukraine backed by ground-based air defence, days after Russia took…

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Lithuanian intelligence warns of provocations ahead of Russia’s Victory Day

Lithuanian intelligence has warned of possible provocations as Russia and some other former Soviet countries are about to celebrate the so-called World War Two Victory Day on May 9. “Recently,…

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US battalion to stay in Lithuania indefinitely

Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas, who is on a visit to the US, says he has been assured that the American battalion in Lithuania will stay in the country indefinitely,…

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Lithuania denies Minsk’s reports of drone attack from Lithuanian territory

Lithuanian Armed Forces have denied the Belarusian security service’s report that a drone attack was launched on Minsk from Lithuania. “The State Security Committee, in cooperation with colleagues from other…

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No chance Putin will attack NATO says Lithuanian general

As fears grow among European officials about a potential Russian assault on NATO, the commander of Lithuania's armed forces is keeping cool. “This year, next year, the possibility or the…

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Lithuania calls for more money for Ukraine in EU budget review

By Jan Strupczewski The European Union should earmark more cash to support Ukraine in its revised long-term budget and top up the funds for EU military mobility, Lithuanian finance minister…

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Lithuania summons Pope’s diplomat over remarks on Russian empire heritage

VILNIUS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Majority-Catholic EU member Lithuania has summoned the Vatican's top diplomat in the country after Pope Francis told Russian youths to remember they are the heirs…

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Lithuania’s ruling party seeks snap election amid expenses scandal, says government may resign

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania's ruling Homeland Union party said it will propose a snap parliamentary election and that the government may resign if the assembly turns down the request. The…

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Lithuania passes legislation allowing border guards to turn back migrants

By Andrius Sytas VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania's parliament passed legislation allowing border guards to turn back migrants who cross its frontier illegally, brushing away concerns from human rights organizations. Lithuania,…

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Lithuania bans Russians from purchasing real estate

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania's parliament decided to ban Russian nationals from purchasing real estate in the Baltic country, citing risks to national security. The ban, which will be in place…

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Lithuania may tax windfall bank profits, boost defence spending

By Andrius Sytas VILNIUS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Lithuania may introduce a windfall tax on banks if profits continue to soar this year on the back of rising interest rates,…

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Lithuania gas explosion blamed on technical malfunction

A powerful gas pipeline explosion that prompted the evacuation of a village in northern Lithuania was most likely caused by a technical malfunction, the head of the country’s natural gas…

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