Latvia: Drone shot down in eastern Latvia
French fighter jets within NATO’s Baltic air-policing mission shot down a drone in eastern Latvia…
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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:…
Latvia: Drone shot down in eastern Latvia
French fighter jets within NATO’s Baltic air-policing mission shot down a drone in eastern Latvia in the morning of 8 June 2026, the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) announced, LSM reports. NBS said that the drone entered Latvian airspace due to Russian “electromagnetic warfare,” TVNET reported. Eyewitness said that the incident occurred near the village…
Baltic: New Baltic think tank established in UK
A new Baltic think tank, the Baltic International Security Centre (BISC), was launched at an event in the Belgian capital, Brussels, on 3 June 2026, LSM reports. The UK-based centre was founded by British veteran journalist and security expert Edward Lucas. BISC’s patrons are four former Baltic presidents: Estonia’s Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Latvia’s Vaira Vike-Freiberga…
Lithuania: Lithuanian soldier missing in Ukraine
A Lithuanian soldier serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces (ZSU) has gone missing in action, LRT reported. According to 15min, the 25-year-old Lithuanian had been taking part in a combat mission in an area that was shelled by Russian occupation forces. Reportedly, the soldier had been serving as an assistant grenade launcher since February 2026….
Latvia: Fuel prices up 28% on year in May 2026
Average consumer prices for transport fuel in Latvia rose by 28.2% on year in May 2026, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reported. Retail prices for diesel fuel increased by 33.3%, for petrol by 21.5%, and for autogas (LPG) by 14.4% over a year. Compared to April 2026, average fuel prices…
Estonia: Industrial production down 3.8% in April 2026
Estonia’s industrial production output declined by 3.8% on year in April 2026, according to data from Statistics Estonia, ERR reported. Output increased by 14.3% in mining, but decreased by 14.9% in energy production and by 3.2% in manufacturing. Compared to March 2026, industrial production grew by 1.2%. Riin Kadarik, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, noted…
Baltic: Baltic Pride parade held in Tallinn
This year’s Baltic Pride parade was held in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, on 6 June 2026, ERR reports. The parade progressed through Tallinn’s Old Town and ended with an open-air concert at the Telliskivi Creative City. This year’s theme was “silence will not defeat hate,” emphasising the need to speak up and take action against…
Lithuania: President, PM back Foreign Minister
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene expressed support for Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys amid speculation about his future in government, LRT reported. Nauseda insisted that discussions about replacing Budrys were “not very responsible and not very serious”, pointing out that no concrete allegations had been made against him. Moreover, the President noted…
Latvia: Industrial production up 7% in April 2026
Latvia’s industrial production output increased by 7.0% in April 2026, compared to the same period of 2025, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, LSM reported. Output in manufacturing rose by 6.8% and in electricity and gas supply by 12.1%, while output in mining and quarrying fell by 8.3% over…
Estonia: Populist opposition party reelects leader
Estonia’s populist opposition Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) has reelected MP Martin Helme as the party’s chairman, ERR reports. He was the sole candidate. The party congress adopted a statement saying that Estonia’s current political system and institutions had retreated from protecting the constitutional ideal of a nation-state. Estonia must reassert its national sovereignty,…