Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NAZK) has added Lithuanian fish processor Viciunai Group to its list of “International Sponsors of War,” BNS reports. NAZK stated that Viciunai Group has continued production and hiring at its plant in Russia’s Kaliningrad region even after announcing that it was exiting Russia. Viciunai Group declined to comment on…
Lithuania experienced its least sunny month on record in December 2023, with an average of only 8.7 hours of sunshine, less than a third of the usual amount, LRT reports. This surpassed the previous record of 9.9 hours set in December 2018, according to the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service (LHMT). Vilnius only registered 2.9 hours and…
The Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) have received the first batch of Spanish-made EXPAL 120mm mortars, BNS reports. The Defence Ministry said that the modern high-quality weaponry provided a significant enhancement to Lithuania’s indirect fire support capabilities. The mortars have an effective range of up to eight kilometres. Lithuania signed a EUR 9.8mn procurement contract with…
Lithuania has completed the first phase of procuring joint light tactical vehicles (JLTVs) manufactured by the US defence contractor, Oshkosh Defense, BNS reports. The final batch of 50 JLTVs, part of a 2019 contract for 200 vehicles, recently arrived in Lithuania ahead of schedule. The first 50 JLTVs were delivered in 2021, followed by additional…
Lithuania plans to call up reserve troops up to the age of 60 for training in response to the deteriorating regional security situation, BNS reports. The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has given initial approval for the initiative. The plan includes calling up around 80,000 reserve troops who served more than ten years ago. These individuals…
Lithuania’s 2024 presidential elections are approaching, with the incumbent, Gitanas Nauseda, being the clear favourite for re-election, LRT reports. The main intrigue lies in whether there will be a second round of voting. Besides Nauseda, five candidates from political parties and five independents have declared their intentions to run. The list includes notable figures like…
Lithuania’s excess mortality, which surged during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, has now returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to experts, LRT reports. In the first eleven months of 2023, nearly 32,000 people died, which was down from almost 39,000 in the same period a year earlier, 43,000 in 2021, and 37,000 in 2020. Despite…
In their New Year’s greetings, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and First Lady Diana Nausediene sought to convey a sense of optimism as they approached the new year, LRT reported. They noted the upcoming 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s NATO and EU membership, thanking everyone for their collective achievements. The presidential couple expressed their belief in the…
The opposition Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) remained the country’s most popular political party in October 2023, according to a new Vilmorus poll, BNS reports. LSDP topped the poll with 18.0% support, which was down from 18.8% in September 2023. The ruling Homeland Union (TS-LKD) came in second with 9.3% (11.3%), followed by two…