Estonia plans to build about 150 bunkers in the northeastern Ida-Virumaa county along the border with Russia, Defence Minister Martin Herem announced, BNS reported. Speaking in the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, Herem said that the bunkers would be part of the Baltic Defence Line. Around 100 of the bunkers would be on state land and…
Lithuania’s Interior Minister, Martynas Katelynas, has asked Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas to deploy troops to the country’s border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region, BNS reports. Katelynas said that the troop deployment was a preventive measure in response to an armed incident on Latvia’s border with Belarus. Speaking in an interview with Die Welt, Prime Minister Mindaugas…
Armed men attempted to push a group of at least 20 migrants to cross the border from Belarus into Latvia illegally on 5 October 2026, according to the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS), LETA reported. NBS soldiers prevented the attempt, which it said was particularly demonstrative and aggressive. During the incident, the masked armed men…
Latvia was hit by the strongest storm since 1966 on the night of 22-23 August 2026, LSM reported. Wind speeds exceeded 30 mps in some areas, according to the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVGMC), LETA reported. Several injuries and one fatality were recorded. Electricity distributor Sadales Tikls reported that the storm cut power…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda’s national security adviser, Marius Cesnulevicius, supported a proposal to tighten controls on Russian transit through Lithuanian territory to and from the Kaliningrad region, BNS reports. Earlier, MP Arvydas Anusauskas of the conservative opposition Homeland Union proposed amendments that would cut the transit time from the current 24 hours to 6 hours, ELTA…
The commander of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT), Rustamas Liubajevas, has resigned, Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas announced, LRT reports. Katelynas said that serious questions had arisen about how VSAT had handled and reported a recent violent incident involving migrants on the border with Belarus. Media reports revealed that a group of migrants had attacked…
The EU should cover costs related to confronting Russia, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs stated, Politico reports. He said that the EU should grant an additional EUR 7bn from its next multi-annual budget to compensate for Latvia’s higher defence spending and loss of trade with Russia. Latvia’s projected defence spending over the seven-year budget period…
NATO fighters shot down a drone that had entered Latvian airspace in the early morning hours of 14 August 2026, LSM reported. Two Italian Eurofighter jets based at Lithuania’s Siauliai Air Base and two Turkish F-16 jets from Estonia’s Ämari Air Base were involved in the operation, LSM reported. The drone was destroyed by one…
The Latvian government has launched “Operation Werewolf” to stop illegal border crossings from Belarus and Russia, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs announced, LSM reports. Latvia’s State Border Guard (VRS), State Police, State Security Service (VDD), Defence Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD), and National Armed Forces (NBS) will exchange information on attempts to cross the border illegally…
