Lithuania: Defence attache to be sent to Israel
The Lithuanian government has approved the opening of a defence attache post at the country’s…
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Welcome to Via Baltica, your “information superhighway” for news from the three Baltic tigers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania! Our founder and editor-in-chief is Kerkko Paananen, senior news analyst with more than two decades of professional expertise in covering and reporting on current affairs in the Baltic States. We aim to do one thing well:…
Lithuania: Defence attache to be sent to Israel
The Lithuanian government has approved the opening of a defence attache post at the country’s embassy in Israel, BNS reports. The post is expected to be established in July 2026. The Defence Ministry said that Lithuania was developing joint procurement projects with Israel to strengthen Lithuania’s military capabilities and defence industry. Also, Lithuania seeks to…
Latvia: Home prices up 11% on year in Q4/2025: statistics
Home prices in Latvia rose by 1.9% in the fourth quarter of 2025 from the previous quarter, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, housing prices increased by 11%. Residential property prices have risen by more than 120% and rental prices by more than 30% over ten years since…
Estonia: Fatherland, Centre Party top poll in March 2026
Estonia’s three opposition parties, national-conservative Fatherland (Isamaa), populist Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond), and the Social Democratic Party (SDE), are the country’s most popular political parties, according to Norstat’s new poll for the Institute for Societal Research (YI), ERR reports. Fatherland’s support now stands at 26.3%, the Centre Party’s at 21.9%, and SDE’s at 15.1%. The…
Baltic: Ukraine asked to report stray drones
Estonia has recommended that Ukraine redirect its drone attacks against Russia’s Baltic Sea ports farther away from Estonia’s borders, Colonel Ants Kiviselg, commander of the Military Intelligence Centre of the Estonian Defence Forces, said, ERR reports. Lithuania’s Deputy Defence Minister, Tomas Godliauskas, insisted that Ukraine warn the Baltic States if their drones veer off course,…
Lithuania: Coalition rift over defence project vote
Lithuania’s opposition Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL) may rejoin the government, ELTA reports. DSVL chairman, MP Saulius Skvernelis, neither confirmed nor denied potential coalition talks. Earlier, President Gitanas Nauseda urged the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) to make changes to the ruling coalition. This was after ten MPs, all of whom represent coalition…
Latvia: Nearly half of Latvians in good health
Nearly a half (48.2%) of Latvians felt in good or very good health in 2025, which was up from 35.1% in 2005, according to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. The survey data showed that 43.7% of Latvian residents aged 16 years and older rated their health as good and 4.5% as very good….
Estonia: Coop to buy Prisma hypermarkets
Finnish retail group S Group’s supermarket operator, SOK, will sell its 13 Prisma Peremarket hypermarkets in Estonia to local cooperative retailer Coop Eesti for an undisclosed price, ERR reports. Under the deal, the Prisma stores, nine of which are located in Tallinn, will change their name to Coop. The parties expect to complete the transaction…
Lithuania: French court extradites fugitive Russian banker
A court in France has ruled to extradite Russian banker Vladimir Antonov to Lithuania, where he has been found guilty of large-scale fraud, AFP reports. Antonov was detained in western France in December 2025, following a European arrest warrant issued by Lithuania. Antonov’s lawyer, Henry Ermeneux, said that his client would appeal the court ruling,…
Latvia: Government mulls windfall tax on fuel retailers
The Latvian government is considering a windfall tax on fuel retailers, LETA reports. Under the proposal, fuel retailers would have to pay a solidarity tax if their actual retail price was more than 3% higher than the objectively calculated indicative retail price. Earlier, the government lowered the excise duty on diesel fuel temporarily until 30…