25 May 2026

Lithuania’s army ended its search today for a drone that entered the country after an airspace breach, but officials still do not know whether it crashed on Lithuanian territory or flew back out. Earlier operations focused on the Varėna district, where troops questioned residents and searched wooded areas, while authorities told people to leave any debris untouched and call 112.

After yesterday’s air alert in Vilnius and several other regions, the presidency is taking the drone-warning issue to the State Defence Council, while ministries are accelerating a platform meant to link radars, camera networks and other sensors. The Telegraph reported today that Russia may be hijacking Ukrainian drones through a signal source in Kaliningrad and directing them toward Lithuania or other Baltic states. Border guards also said they forced down a drone that entered from Belarus in the Šalčininkai district, and the aircraft and its equipment are now being examined to determine whether it was part of a smuggling run or had another purpose. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due in Lithuania in the coming days for talks on security along the EU’s eastern border and measures against drone threats.

Registru centras remains at the centre of the domestic agenda after prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into suspected illegal access to state registers, with more than 600,000 records potentially taken. Chief executive Adrijus Jusas is due to discuss his future today with Economy and Innovation Minister Edvinas Griksas, and parliament deputy speaker Juozas Olekas said the director stepping down would be the right move. Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys discussed the presence of US troops in Lithuania with members of the US Congress in Vilnius, while other notable domestic items still in view today include new pension accumulation plans, higher benefits from June and Vilnius rolling out a used cooking oil collection system.

Registrų centras chief Adrijus Jusas resigned, and residents were given access to a self-service tool to check whether their personal data was exposed in the cyber incident. Meanwhile, banker Vladimir Antonov was brought to Lithuania. In Šiauliai, a couple was detained over suspected arson and a man died from his injuries.

Kyiv suffered one of the war’s biggest air assaults over the past day, with Russia firing 600 strike drones and 90 missiles, including a hypersonic Oreshnik missile. Ukrainian officials said 86 people were injured in the capital, including three children, and more than 40 sites were damaged across every district of the city. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 245 drones, but several fires broke out in Kyiv, a shopping centre was damaged, and rescue crews were still working through the rubble today. Russia also warned foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Kyiv.

In Kramatorsk, two Russian glide bombs killed a 46-year-old man and wounded a 16-year-old girl yesterday. In Pavlohrad, a separate Russian strike injured five people, including a child. Russia also hit the Chernobyl museum and several cultural and scientific institutions in Ukraine.

Azov said today it had carried out precise strikes on Russian forces on roads near Mariupol and Berdiansk, hitting moving military vehicles. Ukrainian military observers say drones operating from the Mariupol area can reach the M-14 highway, a key land route linking Mariupol, Berdiansk, Melitopol and Henichesk toward occupied Crimea. Several NATO countries blocked a plan to increase military aid to Ukraine, even as the Baltic states host NATO exercises.

In Europe’s car market, Chinese automakers reached a record foothold, driven by sales of hybrid models. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, suspected Ebola cases rose to 900, with 204 deaths recorded and infections having crossed into Uganda.

Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing Russia to use military force abroad under the pretext of protecting its citizens. Ukraine struck an oil storage site in western Russia, and earlier attacks have halted the Syzran oil refinery in the Samara region.

Kyiv was hit overnight in one of the heaviest recent assaults, with Russia firing about 600 drones and 90 missiles, including the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile. Ukrainian officials said four people were killed, 87 were wounded and damage was recorded at 49 sites across the capital. The strikes hit Ukraine’s foreign ministry, a theatre, the philharmonic hall, museums, a library, a university and dozens of homes. Moscow also urged foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Kyiv.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, suspected Ebola cases on Sunday rose above 900, and WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is centred in Ituri province. The WHO has already declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, and neighbouring Uganda has confirmed five infections in recent days. The flare-up is linked to the Bundibugyo strain, while insecurity, population movement and weak health infrastructure are hampering the response. Congolese authorities and international partners are focusing on contact tracing, patient isolation and tighter infection controls.

Washington said on Sunday that talks with Iran had made progress, but the final text is not ready and no agreement will be signed imminently. Oil fell more than 5% on Monday morning as traders priced in the possibility of the Strait of Hormuz reopening and a slower path to ending the Middle East war. Donald Trump played down hopes of a quick announcement, leaving markets exposed to fresh swings.

In U.S.-China relations, Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that Taiwan is the most important issue between the two powers. Beijing later warned that the Taiwan dispute could lead to clashes or conflict, and Xi and Vladimir Putin signed more than 40 cooperation deals in Beijing. At the Ice Hockey World Championship, Canada and Finland posted convincing wins to strengthen their positions at the top of the standings.

Uganda confirmed two more Ebola cases. The World Health Organization urged Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries to act immediately to contain the spread. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would intensify attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.