France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, has refused to hear the appeal of fugitive Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov against his extradition to Lithuania, BNS reported. Antonov was detained in France in December 2025 under a European arrest warrant issued by Lithuanian prosecutors. Earlier, a court in Lithuania convicted Antonov and his business partner, Raimondas…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda rejected suggestions that relations with Belarus were improving, LRT reported. He said that there had been no positive changes on Belarusian balloon incursions, illegal migration, or participation in Russia’s war against Ukraine. There were thus no grounds to ease sanctions on Belarus, Nauseda stated. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said that…
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that drones which recently crashed in Latvian territory came from Ukraine, Ukrinform reported. Sybiha said that Russian electronic warfare had deliberately diverted the drones from their intended targets in Russia. He said that Ukraine was ready to send specialists to the Baltic States and Finland to prevent such incidents….
Two freight trains derailed in Lithuania within 48 hours on 1 and 2 May 2026, prompting fears of possible Russian sabotage, LRT reported. However, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said that the accidents were caused by technical failure or human error, BNS reported. A spokesman for state-owned railway group Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (LTG) said that the derailment…
Authorities in the Baltic States are preparing for possible provocations on 9 May 2026, when Russians celebrate the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II and occupation of central and eastern Europe. Authorities in the Russian border town of Ivangorod (Jaanilinn) will hold another propaganda concert on the banks of the Narva river for the…
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina sharply criticised Defence Minister Andris Spruds after drones from Russia crashed in Latvian territory, LETA reported. Silina pointed to the lack of timely warning to local residents about the incoming drones. The government’s EUR 2bn defence budget means that people will expect accountability from the minister, she stated. Silina said…
Several unmanned aerial vehicles entered Latvian airspace from Russia, and two of them crashed in eastern Latvia, in the early morning hours of 7 May 2026, according to the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS), LETA reported. One of the drones crashed at East-West Transit’s oil storage facility in Rezekne, LETA reported. No significant damage and…
Opposition parties in Latvia have seized on culturally divisive issues to garner support ahead of the parliamentary elections in October 2026, New Eastern Europe reports. Earlier, the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, voted to withdraw from the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women. Opposition parties claim that the human rights treaty is…
Estonian President Alar Karis gave a long interview to ERR’s Vikerraadio radio channel, in which he expanded on his earlier statements about possible dialogue with Russia, ERR reports. He lamented that many politicians in Estonia had rushed to condemn his views without actually reading them, and stressed the need to “face reality” and “allow for…