Lithuania has submitted an application for EUR 6.375bn of support from the European Commission’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument to finance around 50 defence projects, BNS reports. Deputy Defence Minister Karolis Aleksa said that Lithuania would use the EU funds to acquire tanks or tracked infantry fighting vehicles for a national army division. Also,…
Lithuania has lifted flight restrictions after disruptions caused by smuggler balloons from neighbouring Belarus, BNS reports. Saulius Batavicius, CEO of air navigation provider Oro Navigacija, said that around 60 balloons were detected during the shutdown, practically blocking access to Vilnius International Airport. The airport was shut down for almost 11 hours. Batavicius noted that the…
Estonia expects European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to propose a solution this week to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated, ERR reports. He noted that a legal solution already existed to provide guarantees to Belgium against claims from Russia. Tsahkna insisted that there was no need for…
The international credit rating agency, S&P Global, has affirmed Latvia’s sovereign credit rating at A/A-1 with a stable outlook, unchanged from its previous report in May 2025, LSM reports. The agency noted persistent geopolitical uncertainty and elevated regional security risks, but expects Latvia to adhere to prudent fiscal policy and to withstand external headwinds in…
Several people were detained in Lithuania after smuggler balloons disrupted flights at Vilnius International Airport (VIA) overnight on 4 October 2025, LRT reports. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, director of the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC), said that 10 of the 25 weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes had been found and several suspects who tried to retrieve the…
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna panned comments by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel who implied that the Baltic States and Poland bore indirect responsibility for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, ERR reported. Tsahkna said that the reason for Russia’s aggression lies in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “inability to come to terms with the collapse of the…
The Norwegian-led Nordic-Baltic training camp for Ukrainian soldiers, Camp Jomsborg, was opened officially in southern Poland on 1 October 2025, ERR reports. The camp at the Polish Land Forces training ground in Nowa Deba will provide both basic training for soldiers and advanced courses for officers and specialists. The facility will be able to train…
Smuggler balloons from Belarus disrupted flights at Lithuania’s Vilnius International Airport (VIA) overnight on 4 October 2025, LRT reports. The National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) reported that 25 meteorological balloons, most likely carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus. State-run airport operator Lietuvos Oro Uostai (LTOU) suspended flights at VIA at around 10pm on…
Building a “drone wall” on NATO’s eastern flank is a priority for Estonia’s and Europe’s security, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated, ERR reports. Speaking at the European Council and European Political Community meeting in Copenhagen, Michal said that political support from NATO allies to strengthen the defence alliance’s eastern border was “very strong.” He…