Lithuania: EU to impose new sanctions on Belarus after balloon attacks

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…

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Latvia: Fitch drops airBaltic’s credit rating to CCC+

International rating agency Fitch Ratings has downgraded the long-term issuer default rating of Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, from B-/Negative to CCC+, indicating “significant risks” for creditors, LETA reports. Fitch also downgraded airBaltic’s senior secured long-term notes worth EUR 380mn from B- to CCC+. The agency noted that airBaltic’s level of indebtedness was higher and financial…

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Estonia: Centre Party, Fatherland sign Tallinn coalition agreement

Estonia’s opposition Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) and Fatherland (Isamaa) have signed a coalition agreement to govern Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, for the next four years, ERR reports. Under the agreement, the posts of mayor and city council chairman will alternate between the two parties, and the parties will have three deputy mayors each. Keskerakond’s Mihhail Kõlvart…

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Lithuania: Several detained after smuggler balloons disrupt flights

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…

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