The Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) will equip all its units with first-person view (FPV) drones, Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas announced, BNS reports. LGP will create a “drone ecosystem” of various types of air and naval combat drones. Kasciunas said that Lithuania planned to open several new production lines for maritime drones by 2025. The government…
A four-year-old boy in Latvia died of diphtheria at the Children’s Clinical University Hospital (BKUS) in Riga on 16 September 2024, LSM reports. The boy was unvaccinated for the preventable disease. Four children, including two of the dead boy’s sisters, were treated for diphtheria at the hospital. The parents, who took the sisters out of…
Several ministries in Estonia have criticised the Ministry of Climate’s proposed new climate law, ERR reports. The ministries argued that the bill’s structure and purpose were unclear, and that the bill failed to define the rights and obligations under the proposed law. Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets and Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta said that the bill…
A resident of Lithuania’s port city of Klaipeda has been charged with violation of public order after painting Russian war symbols on several buildings, BNS reports. The man painted the letter Z, which symbolises support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, on several buildings, cars, billboards, and a church bell in Klaipeda, BNS reported….
Latvia’s new early warning system will not be implemented at the end of 2024 as planned because of a delay in the procurement process, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis announced, LSM reports. He said that the delay was due to the many legal appeals during the procurement procedure. The ministry announced a procurement tender for the…
Estonia and Finland are drawing up joint plans for increased maritime defence, Major General Andrus Merilo, commander of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), revealed, ERR reports. Speaking in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, Merilo said that the goal was to establish specific plans to close the Gulf of Finland to Russian ships if necessary. Earlier,…
Lithuania’s Prosecutor General, Nida Grunskiene, has asked the European Parliament to strip Lithuanian MEP Petras Grazulis of his parliamentary immunity to face prosecution in Lithuania, Baltic News Network reports. Grazulis stands accused of expressing contempt for members of the LGBT community. The case was put on hold after he was elected MEP. Grazulis faces fines…
The Latvian government plans to raise the personal income tax (PIT) for those with high income in 2025, LETA reports. Under the plan, the government will introduce an additional 3% PIT rate for those with income of over EUR 200,000 per year. The additional tax will apply to all taxable income, including capital gains. At…
Estonia’s Climate Ministry has proposed amendments to exempt electricity storage facilities from double fees as of the beginning of 2026, BNS reports. Under the amendments, renewable energy and grid transmission fees for storage equipment would only be charged on net consumption for the calendar month. Owners of storage devices would thus only pay for the…