27 May 2026

Archived edition

Lithuania

Summary

Gitanas Nausėda convened the State Defence Council today after drone incursions into Lithuanian and neighbouring airspace. The council is reviewing Lithuania’s and the region’s security picture and the rollout of an integrated airspace defence system, while the president said Lithuania would shoot down intruding aerial targets even with costly missiles.

Parliament’s national security committee has already asked the defence ministry and the armed forces for hard numbers on what is needed to protect Lithuanian skies from drones. After the council meeting, Nausėda said Lithuania would buy 936 Finnish-made Patria armoured vehicles by 2030, including spare parts and maintenance, with part of the work going to Lithuanian companies. The armed forces are also presenting a plan today to expand long-range capabilities in a new Lithuanian Army unit. Public debate has also turned to a broader general mobilisation model.

In central Kaunas today, firefighters, police and bomb disposal teams were sent to the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union building after a report of a possible explosive device and the activation of the “Shield” plan. The presidency said yesterday that the theft of citizens’ data from the Centre of Registers had become a national security issue, and Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė said the case already has victims. LRT reported that hundreds of thousands of records may have been copied over several months, including data on the army chief, and Nausėda said there were signs of an attack organised by a hostile foreign state.

Yesterday, 15min reported that a Palanga flat linked to the Pinskuvienė family was bought for less than the sum long cited in public debate. In sport, a Lithuanian athlete won European Championship gold on the track today.

Lithuania's armed forces are forming specialized drone units, while the defence system is preparing to buy nearly 1,000 Finnish Patria armoured vehicles. Late in the evening, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Lithuania, underscoring the importance of security in the Baltic states.

sources: 15min.lt, delfi.lt, vz.lt, tv3.lt, lrt.lt, lrytas.lt

Kaunas center service surrounded by Lithuanian Riflemen's Union building – 'Shield' plan in effect

On May 27, firefighters, police and bomb disposal teams converged on the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union building in central Kaunas after a report of a possible explosive device. Kaunas city had already announced on May 13 that the area would host the

Why it matters

For people and businesses in central Kaunas, the immediate effect was blocked streets and disrupted foot traffic during the response. Even if the alert proves false, such callouts still tie up bomb disposal and police resources that would otherwise be available for other city and regional duties.

sources:lrytas.lt

Politics

President: Registry Center incident is a national security issue that must not happen again

On May 26, the President's office said the theft of citizens' data from the Centre of Registers exposed ineffective safeguards and had become a national security issue, according to adviser Andrius Varnelis. Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė said the case already has victims but would not yet give an exact figure, while LRT reported that hundreds of thousands of records may have been copied over several months. The fallout is now moving into an audit of the registry's systems and an extraordinary committee meeting on security.

Why it matters

The breach could force thousands of people to monitor their identity, property records and possible fraud attempts tied to registry data. For state agencies, it means tighter security reviews and pressure to overhaul access controls and data protection rules fast.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

President: Lithuania ready to shoot down drones even if expensive missiles are required

President Gitanas Nausėda said on May 27, 2026, that Lithuania is ready to shoot down drones that breach its airspace, even if that means using expensive missiles. He framed the line as part of Lithuania’s response to recent airspace violations, after authorities had already tightened their rules on how to deal with drones and other flying objects. The next step will be deciding, case by case, which force or air-defence asset is used first to neutralise the threat.

Why it matters

The line affects people living near the border, airport operations and civil aviation, because every drone incursion can trigger flight restrictions or security alerts. It also raises the pressure on the military and state agencies to distinguish quickly between a nuisance drone and a real airborne threat.

sources:15min.lt lrt.lt

Politics

Lithuania to buy nearly 1,000 armored vehicles from Patria (Finland)

Lithuania will buy 936 Finnish-made Patria armoured vehicles by 2030, President Gitanas Nausėda said after a meeting of the State Defence Council on May 27, 2026. The package will also include spare parts and maintenance, with some of the work to be done by Lithuanian firms. The deal gives the army a long-planned equipment upgrade and sets a clear delivery horizon for the next few years.

Why it matters

The deal should channel service and logistics work to Lithuanian companies, rather than sending vehicles abroad for maintenance. For the army, a single vehicle family means simpler training, spare-parts planning and faster readiness for deployment.

sources:vz.lt delfi.lt lrt.lt lrytas.lt

Politics

After drone incursions, Defense Council discusses air defense

President Gitanas Nausėda has called the State Defence Council for May 27, 2026 to examine air defence after drone incursions into Lithuanian and neighbouring airspace. His aide Ridas Jasiulionis said the council will review the security picture in Lithuania and the region, along with the rollout of an integrated airspace defence system. The meeting comes after parliament’s national security committee asked the defence ministry and the armed forces for hard numbers on what is needed to protect Lithuanian skies from drones.

Why it matters

Civil aviation, border guards and critical infrastructure operators need clear rules on detection, interception and warning. If the council turns that into specific purchases and responsibilities, it will decide whether new systems are rolled out centrally and quickly, or through slower, fragmented procurement.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

The cat is out of the bag: how much Pinskuvienė’s mother’s apartment in Palanga really cost

On May 26, 2026, 15min said the Palanga flat linked to the Pinskuvienė family was bought for a lower sum than the one circulating publicly, after checking registry and transaction data. The report said the dispute stemmed from conflicting numbers in public discussion, while resort property deals are often judged by market gossip rather than the price written into the contract. The correction may sharpen scrutiny of how politicians and their relatives disclose assets, and of how clearly the Palanga apartment was described in public.

Why it matters

The price dispute matters to voters who judge the transparency of politicians’ family assets and the accuracy of asset disclosures. Each corrected transaction number also shifts the benchmark for Palanga’s property market, where high prices are often used as reference points.

sources:delfi.lt

Europe

Summary

Poland summoned the Russian ambassador on Monday and delivered a protest note over Moscow’s threats against Kyiv and foreign diplomats based there. Warsaw demanded that Russia end its aggression against Ukraine, withdraw its forces and pay compensation for war damage.

Ukraine is assessing whether Russia used two Oreshnik hypersonic medium-range missiles in Saturday’s mass strike on Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelenskiy said three Russian missiles also hit Bila Tserkva, while the wider barrage totalled 600 drones and 90 missiles. Over the past day, Russian attacks also injured three civilians in the Kherson region. In Chernihiv, strikes damaged a company and at least 15 explosions were heard across the city.

On Tuesday, a Russian strike hit a sailing vessel on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, even though Ukraine said it had no fuel left and was no longer used for combat tasks. Kyiv described the vessel as civilian or auxiliary and linked the attack to pressure on the Black Sea shoreline and port activity. On Monday, Ukraine used British-made Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Russia’s Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions, where fires and columns of black smoke were reported after strikes on military infrastructure and energy sites.

Kyiv warned on Tuesday that Russia and Belarus could be preparing a new northern offensive and said its military had identified 500 potential targets in Belarus if Minsk entered the war. The warning followed joint Russia-Belarus nuclear drills on May 18-21 that tested warhead delivery to field storage sites and missile-unit readiness. The European Union is also shifting investment priorities toward defence and critical infrastructure. At the Ice Hockey World Championship, the quarter-final lineup is set, with Latvia to face Norway.

Russian shelling of a playground in Kherson killed one person. Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia is preparing a new mobilization and urged Donald Trump to step up support for Ukraine urgently.

sources: 15min.lt, delfi.lt, lrt.lt, vz.lt, lrytas.lt, tv3.lt

Why did they do it? There was no Rome left! — Russians strike Ukrainian sailing vessel

On May 27, 2026, a Russian strike hit a sailing vessel on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, with the Ukrainian side saying there was no fuel left on board and it was no longer being used for combat tasks. The vessel was described as civilian or auxiliary, widening the scope of attacks on Ukraine’s maritime assets and coastal infrastructure. Kyiv links the incident to Moscow’s broader effort to squeeze the Black Sea shoreline and disrupt civilian movement and port activity.

Why it matters

For Ukraine’s coastal cities, the risk rises for civilian shipping, fishing and port logistics, all of which have already been operating under war-time constraints. The strike forces tighter protection of docks and moored vessels, adding costs for businesses and local authorities.

sources:lrytas.lt

Politics

Russia hit by Storm Shadow missiles in three regions: columns of black smoke

On May 26, 2026, Ukraine fired British-made Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia, and Russian authorities acknowledged strikes in Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions the same day. Local officials and war bloggers reported fires and thick black smoke after attacks on military infrastructure and energy sites. The strikes show Kyiv is still pressing Western long-range weapons deeper into Russia, while Moscow has already been forced to reinforce air defences in its western regions.

Why it matters

Civilians in Russia’s western border regions face a new exposure when strikes reach energy and transport hubs. The more often those sites are hit, the greater the risk of power cuts, fuel disruption and strain on military logistics.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

War in Ukraine: Putin and Lukashenko plan new strikes, warning of fresh assaults

On May 27, Kyiv warned that Russia and Belarus could be preparing a new northern offensive, and said its military had identified 500 potential targets in Belarus if Minsk entered the war. The warning followed joint Russia-Belarus nuclear drills on May 18-21, which tested the delivery of nuclear warheads to field storage sites and the readiness of missile units. Ukraine says the drills are part of Moscow’s effort to create pressure points and force Kyiv to divert forces to a new front along the Belarusian border.

Why it matters

Ukraine would have to keep more troops and air-defence systems tied down on its northern border, stretching resources away from the front in the east and south. If Belarus deepens its role, the risk of spillover rises for neighbouring European states, especially near the borders with Lithuania, Poland and Latvia.

sources:tv3.lt

Politics

Ukrainian rockets burned the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea

A Ukrainian strike hit Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol on Sept. 22, 2023, leaving the building damaged and on fire, according to the occupation authorities in Crimea. Kyiv cast the attack as part of a broader effort to knock out Russian command-and-control nodes on the occupied peninsula, where it has also targeted naval communications and logistics. The strike became one of the blows that forced Moscow to push more of its fleet farther from Crimea and tighten its defensive posture in the Black Sea.

Why it matters

The strikes make it harder for Russia to coordinate attacks on southern Ukraine from Crimea and force the fleet to operate farther from the peninsula. That raises Moscow’s logistics and air-defence burden while giving Kyiv more room to hit naval and command targets.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

Poland summoned Russian ambassador and demanded end to aggression in Ukraine

Poland's foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador on May 26 and handed over a protest note over Moscow's threats against Kyiv and foreign diplomats stationed there. Warsaw demanded that Russia stop its aggression against Ukraine, withdraw its forces and compensate for the damage caused by the war. The move followed a Russian warning on May 25 telling foreigners and diplomats to leave Kyiv ahead of planned strikes on the capital.

Why it matters

Diplomats and their families in Kyiv now face a more immediate strike risk, and Western missions may need to reconsider staffing in the Ukrainian capital. Poland's move also shows Warsaw is keeping diplomatic pressure on Moscow while the war continues.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

War in Ukraine. Analysts: Russia may have launched two Oseniik missiles on May 24

On May 24, Russia included a hypersonic medium-range missile, Oreshnik, in a mass drone-and-missile strike on Kyiv, prompting Lithuania to summon a Russian embassy representative in Vilnius and hand over a formal protest note. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said three Russian missiles also hit Bila Tserkva, while the overnight barrage totalled 600 drones and 90 missiles. Ukrainian and Western analysts are now trying to work out whether the strike was a one-off show of force or the start of renewed use of the system against Ukraine.

Why it matters

For Ukraine’s air defences, it adds another class of target that needs separate tracking and interception planning, while civilians in Kyiv and other cities face wider strike packages. For NATO and the Baltic states, it raises the question of how far Moscow is willing to push weapons that blur the line between conventional strikes and nuclear signalling.

sources:delfi.lt

World

Summary

Israel struck a target in Gaza today linked to Hamas’ new military chief, Khaled al-Haddad. The Israeli military said he took over after Mohammad Sinwar was killed in May 2025 and helped plan the October 7 attack.

Russia launched missiles and drones at Kyiv over the past two days, with explosions and fires reported across several districts of the capital. Ukrainian officials ordered residents into shelters after Moscow warned of further strikes on Kyiv. In southern Lebanon, Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters clashed yesterday north of the Litani River, an area that was meant to remain demilitarised under the truce. Lebanese officials also said 31 people were killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo to tighten border checks over the Ebola outbreak. The flare-up is tied to the rare Bundibugyo strain, and WHO has already declared a public health emergency of international concern in DR Congo and Uganda. Iran carried out the execution of a 28-year-old woman today after she was convicted of murder in a case tied to a 2020 dispute with her former husband. Rights groups say Iran carried out at least 1,639 executions in 2025 under the qisas retributive justice system.

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi reiterated over the past day his call for the United States and Iran to find a compromise in stalled nuclear talks. In Laos, five gold miners were found alive in a flooded cave after a week-long search.

The Israeli military urged nearly all residents of Tyre in southern Lebanon to evacuate and declared the area south of the Zahrani river a combat zone. Strikes hit near Tyre shortly after the warning. Uganda closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo over an Ebola outbreak.

sources: lrt.lt, 15min.lt, tv3.lt, lrytas.lt, delfi.lt

War in Ukraine. Powerful Russian attack with a barrage of explosions

On May 25, Russia launched a wave of missiles and drones at Kyiv, setting off a string of explosions in the Ukrainian capital in the early hours. Ukrainian officials ordered residents into shelters as air defences were activated and fires broke out across several districts. The attack came after Moscow warned of more strikes on Kyiv, raising the risk of another major barrage overnight.

Why it matters

For Kyiv residents, it means more hours in shelters and more disruption for emergency crews, who had to deal with fires and damage in residential and commercial areas. The barrage also stretches Ukraine’s air defences at a time when they must protect the capital and other cities at the same time.

sources:lrytas.lt

Politics

Hezbollah says it clashed with Israeli forces north of the Litani River

Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters clashed in southern Lebanon near the Litani River on May 26, 2026, as Israeli forces pushed deeper into territory that was meant to stay demilitarized under the truce. Israel says it holds parts of southern Lebanon and is trying to harden a buffer zone to shield towns in northern Israel from rockets and drone attacks. The fighting came days before planned talks in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli delegations, putting an already shaky ceasefire under more strain.

Why it matters

For civilians in southern Lebanon, the clash means displacement and movement restrictions may drag on, with returns home and farm work still tied to the front line. For towns in northern Israel, it affects whether security curbs stay in place and whether drone and rocket alerts ease.

sources:lrt.lt 15min.lt

Health

WHO chief: a catastrophic Ebola-virus and war combination looms

On May 25, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo to tighten border checks and surveillance over the Ebola outbreak. The current flare-up is tied to the rare Bundibugyo strain, and WHO has already declared it a public health emergency of international concern in DR Congo and Uganda. The agency says insecurity and population movement are raising the odds of cross-border spread into wider Central Africa.

Why it matters

Border communities are the first exposed, because travel, markets and local clinics can carry the virus across districts and frontiers. If the outbreak spreads further, neighboring states will need more isolation beds, lab capacity and vaccination teams at short notice.

sources:lrytas.lt delfi.lt lrt.lt

Politics

Israel attacked the new Hamas military leader

On May 27, 2026, the Israeli military struck a target in Gaza tied to Hamas’ new military chief, Khaled al-Haddad, who took over after Mohammad Sinwar was killed in May 2025. Israel says al-Haddad helped plan the October 7 attack and has been trying to rebuild Hamas’ military capabilities and plot further attacks on Israeli civilians and troops. The strike comes as Israel keeps shifting forces back to Gaza after weeks of wider regional operations and continues hunting senior Hamas commanders across the Middle East.

Why it matters

For civilians in Gaza, it means more strikes and displacement in areas where the army believes Hamas leaders are hiding. It also makes ceasefire talks more fragile, because each senior-targeted strike can change who is able to negotiate and who is able to command.

sources:lrytas.lt delfi.lt lrt.lt tv3.lt

Crime

Execution carried out in Iran of a 28-year-old woman

Iran executed a 28-year-old woman on May 27, 2026, after she was convicted of murder in a case tied to a 2020 dispute with her former husband. The sentence was carried out under qisas, Iran’s retributive justice system, where the victim’s family can press for the death penalty. Rights groups say Iran ranks second only to China in the number of executions, with at least 1,639 carried out in 2025.

Why it matters

Executions of women in Iran are uncommon, but they remain a live issue for defendants convicted in family disputes or violent crimes. Qisas gives victims’ relatives decisive leverage, so death sentences can still be carried out even under intense international pressure.

sources:lrt.lt

Politics

China's foreign minister hopes for a US-Iran compromise

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi called on the U.S. and Iran to compromise during BRICS talks in New Delhi on May 15, as the war and nuclear talks remained stuck. His remarks came with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in the room and after Tehran said distrust was still blocking progress with Washington. Beijing has been positioning itself as a diplomatic backstop as U.S. pressure on Iran and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz threaten global energy flows.

Why it matters

Oil buyers in Europe and Asia are watching the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for a large share of globally traded crude and gas. If U.S.-Iran talks stall, markets tend to price in higher supply risk fast.

sources:15min.lt