The EU is preparing new sanctions against Belarus, following repeated incursions of smuggler balloons from Belarus into Lithuania, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced, BNS reports. Earlier, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys urged the EU not to allow the Belarusian regime to blackmail and escape its international isolation and have sanctions lifted, ELTA…
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…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved in final reading a law on setting up anti-mobility infrastructure along the country’s eastern border, LSM reports. Altogether 75 MPs voted in favour and 12 against the law. Latvia will build anti-tank ditches, obstacles, storage facilities, and other technical solutions over an area of around 2,000 hectares in…
Lithuania has extended the closure of part of the country’s airspace along the border with Belarus until 1 December 2025, the Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) announced, BNS reports. LGP pointed to continued security concerns and the need for new legislation to guide military operations. Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said that extending the airspace closure was…
Poland will extend temporary checks at its borders with Lithuania and Germany for another six months until 4 April 2026 due to concerns over irregular migration, BNS reports. Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski noted that migrants were moving from Belarus via the Baltic States through Poland to Western Europe. Polish authorities detained around 60 people…
Poland has temporarily reinstated internal controls at 13 checkpoints on its border with Lithuania in response to increased secondary irregular migration via Belarus, LRT reports. Both Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) and the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association (LINAVA) said that there were no traffic jams on the border on the first day of…
Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) has reported a sharp rise in secondary migration via Latvia, BNS reports. Altogether 352 irregular migrants who entered Latvia from Belarus were detained in Lithuania and Poland in the first half of 2025, which was up 2.5 times from 140 in the same period of 2024. Most of the…
The four policy priorities of Latvia’s coalition government in 2025 are “security, support for families, economic growth, and reducing bureaucracy,” Prime Minister Evika Silina announced, LSM reports. She will begin individual meetings with ministers to discuss the priorities, according to LETA. Silina said that national security remained the government’s most pressing priority, highlighting the need…