28 May 2026

Archived edition

Lithuania

Summary

Vilnius lawmakers yesterday left unresolved a proposal to change how residents are informed about shelters, after the bill’s backers warned that a real emergency could jam entrances and block access. Defence debate intensified today as a Harvard Belfer Center study outlined Russian aggression scenarios on NATO’s eastern flank, including one in which Vilnius could be encircled during a broader push through the Baltics. The model assumes Moscow could test NATO with a limited strike if Western attention is stretched and the US role in Europe weakens.

Lithuania’s Constitutional Court today examined a challenge by jailed former youth mentor Remigijus Jakštys over parole rules. Jakštys, convicted in 2021 for abusing four minors, wants courts to be allowed to make an individual assessment of risk and rehabilitation for him and for others convicted of similar offences. If the court orders changes, parliament could be given six months to amend the prison code.

In Kedainiai, the bridge over the Nevėžis has reopened after a reconstruction lasting nearly four years and costing 4 million euros, but services are still monitoring traffic flows and the carriageway. The district is also tied to a 35 million euro investment plan for a potato starch plant, one of the larger new industrial projects in the area. Parliament has also reopened a dispute over Lithuania’s second pension pillar, with Algirdas Sysas pushing to scrap the 1.5% state top-up even though the 2026 budget allocates 278 million euros for it. The Bank of Lithuania and other experts warn that removing the subsidy could trigger withdrawals and leave savers with lower retirement income.

In business, Kaunas has received the first store in the new Assorti by Livin format. After Ogmios centras bought Bio sala from BaltCap Growth Fund, the group said it plans three larger Assorti by Livin outlets and 17 smaller Livin stores while targeting 25% EBITDA growth and 10% higher revenue.

Seimas member and London Olympic silver medallist Jevgenijus Šuklinas has died. He was 41. President Gitanas Nausėda and the prime minister expressed condolences.

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

Warns of worst-case scenario: a decision in one Lithuanian city could cost lives

Lawmakers in Vilnius on May 27 weighed a proposal to change how residents are told about shelters, after backers said a red air-raid alert exposed confusion over where people should go. The bill’s authors warned that the lack of advance notice could trigger crowding at entrances and clog shelter access in a crisis. The committee did not settle the issue, leaving the proposal to continue through parliament.

Why it matters

For city residents, advance shelter assignments could mean faster movement in an emergency and less chance of dangerous crowding at entrances. City authorities would need to lock down shelter lists and notification rules in advance, because that will decide whether people get inside in time.

sources:tv3.lt

Society

Bridge closure in Kedainiai could cost lives: services brace for the worst

Kedainiai reopened its bridge over the Nevėžis on May 17 after a reconstruction that lasted nearly four years and cost 4 million euros. Officials said the work became unavoidable after a side beam collapsed in 2023, forcing the crossing shut for major structural repairs. Services are now monitoring traffic flows and the carriageway as the route carries daily local traffic and heavy vehicles.

Why it matters

For residents, the bridge is a daily link across the Nevėžis, so any disruption hits commutes, school runs and access to care. The long shutdown also showed how quickly one failed structure can strain regional mobility and local business.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

Modeled possible Russian invasion: Vilnius could be surrounded in scenarios

A Harvard Belfer Center study cited by Lithuanian media sketches two Russian aggression scenarios on NATO’s eastern flank, including one in which Vilnius could be encircled as part of a wider push through the Baltics. The model assumes Moscow could be tempted by a limited strike if Western attention is stretched and the US role in Europe weakens. The point of such a move would be to test NATO’s decision-making and response time, making deterrence the central security issue for the region.

Why it matters

For Baltic civilians, it points to greater pressure on air defence, land links with Poland and civil protection planning in the capital. For Lithuanian forces and NATO units in the region, it feeds directly into exercise design, ammunition stocks and reinforcement routes.

sources:lrytas.lt

Crime

R. Jakštys jailed for minor sexual abuse seeks release – Constitutional Court examined his appeal

Lithuania’s Constitutional Court on May 28 examined a challenge by jailed former youth mentor Remigijus Jakštys over the rules for parole. He wants judges to be allowed to make an individual risk and rehabilitation assessment for him and for other inmates convicted of similar offences. Jakštys was convicted in December 2021 for abusing four minors, and his appeal attacks the near-automatic exclusion from parole for this category of crime. If the court orders changes, parliament could be given six months to amend the prison code.

Why it matters

The case could determine whether prisoners convicted of sexual offences against minors can seek earlier release after an individual assessment. It would affect both inmates and the way Lithuania balances victim protection with sentencing policy.

sources:lrytas.lt

Economy

Launch plan for Livin and Assorti by Livin: EBITDA up 25% and revenue up 10%

Kaunas got the first store in the new Assorti by Livin format, as the company set a target to lift EBITDA 25% and revenue 10% after combining the Livin and Assorti chains. The move follows Ogmios centras' purchase of Bio sala from BaltCap Growth Fund, giving it control of the Livin stores and a wider foothold in Lithuania's healthy-food retail market. The chain will be split into three larger Assorti by Livin outlets and 17 smaller Livin stores as the rollout proceeds.

Why it matters

Shoppers gain a broader range of healthy and premium food in one place, while larger-format stores should make buying easier in dense urban areas. For staff and suppliers, the shift to a single-owner model can change assortment decisions, ordering volumes and the way stores are run.

sources:vz.lt

Economy

Politicians target the second pension pillar, but experts warn

On May 20, Seimas budget committee chair Algirdas Sysas said he will push to scrap the 1.5% state top-up for the second pension pillar. Social Affairs Minister Inga Ruginienė has said there are no plans to change the current system, and the 2026 budget sets aside 278 million euros for the state incentive. The Bank of Lithuania and several experts warn that cutting the subsidy could trigger a wave of withdrawals and leave people with lower retirement income.

Why it matters

A smaller or scrapped state top-up would hit hundreds of thousands of savers directly, because it affects how fast their retirement pots grow and how much they end up with. If more people exit the scheme, the burden shifts back toward the state pension system and the budget.

sources:delfi.lt

Europe

Summary

Two people were killed in a Russian drone attack in Ukraine’s Sumy region. In the Odesa region, Russian strike drones overnight damaged a residential building and an infrastructure facility in the south of the region, where emergency crews are assessing the impact. In Kherson, a Russian strike on a children’s playground in the Korabelnyi district yesterday killed one man and injured four people, including two girls and their mother. Local officials later identified the dead man as the children’s father.

Volodymyr Zelensky said today that he had approved new long-range operations against Russia and tied them to raising the war’s cost for Moscow after earlier strikes on oil infrastructure. Off Turkey’s Black Sea coast today, drones hit three tankers linked to Russia’s sanctions-busting oil trade. Turkish authorities said one vessel suffered an explosion and flooding damage, and Ankara warned both Moscow and Kyiv to keep energy infrastructure out of the war in its economic zone.

Washington and European capitals have spent the past day re-examining Pentagon plans to cut the US troop presence in Europe. NATO allies fear a smaller American footprint could expose the Baltic states and Poland and are weighing whether they can assume more air-defence, intelligence and logistics duties on the eastern flank. Berlin said Germany and the Netherlands will establish a NATO tactical headquarters in the Baltic states. Sweden is preparing to donate 16 Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, while Kyiv plans to buy up to 20 more.

The European Commission today fined Temu 200 million euros after finding the platform allowed illegal and unsafe products, including baby toys and electronics accessories, to reach EU shoppers. In Germany yesterday, Crystal Palace won the UEFA Europa Conference League final and secured the first European trophy in the club’s history.

The Financial Times reports that the European Union is seeking powers to control chip supplies during a crisis. Kaja Kallas said the EU will not act as a neutral intermediary between Ukraine and Russia. A heatwave across Europe has claimed lives.

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

During a night Russian attack in the Odesa region, buildings damaged

Russian strike drones hit a residential building and an infrastructure facility in Ukraine’s Odesa region overnight on May 28, local outlet Odessa Journal said. The attack focused on the southern part of the region, which has seen repeated strikes on civilian and port-related sites in recent weeks. Emergency crews were dispatched to clear the damage and check for further hits.

Why it matters

For residents of Odesa region, it means another overnight hit to homes and local infrastructure. Each strike raises the risk of repairs, power disruption and knock-on damage in southern Ukraine’s port and logistics network.

sources:delfi.lt

Politics

Three oil tankers tied to Russia attacked off Turkish coast

Three tankers linked to Russia's sanctions-busting oil trade were hit by drones off Turkey's Black Sea coast on May 28, 2026. Two of the vessels were carrying out ship-to-ship operations near shore, while Turkish authorities said another suffered an explosion and flooding damage. Ankara has warned both Moscow and Kyiv to keep energy infrastructure out of the war after the attack in Turkey's economic zone.

Why it matters

The attack raises the risk premium for tankers moving Russian crude through the Black Sea, especially along narrow routes near Turkish waters. More strikes could disrupt flows, push up insurance costs and force Ankara to spend more on maritime protection.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

Russia strike kills man, four injured at a children’s playground in Cherson, Ukraine

On May 27, a Russian strike hit a children’s playground in Kherson’s Korabelny district, killing one man and wounding four people, including two girls and their mother. Local officials later identified the dead man as the children’s father. The wounded were taken to hospital with blast and shrapnel injuries, while regional authorities began assessing damage in the civilian area.

Why it matters

Kherson civilians remain exposed to repeated drone and artillery fire, with even routine outdoor activity carrying direct risk. When playgrounds and housing areas are hit, families are the ones who pay in hospital beds, lost wages and trauma.

sources:15min.lt

Economy

EU allocated Temu a 200 million euro fine

The European Commission fined Temu 200 million euros on Thursday after finding the Chinese platform let illegal and unsafe products, including baby toys and electronics accessories, reach EU shoppers. The case was brought under the Digital Services Act, which requires very large platforms to do more to police sellers and remove dangerous goods. Temu can challenge the decision, but repeat breaches could trigger tougher action from Brussels.

Why it matters

The penalty raises the cost of doing business for fast-growing marketplace apps in Europe, forcing them to tighten seller checks and product screening. For shoppers, it should mean fewer hazardous toys, chargers and other cheap goods slipping through the platform.

sources:delfi.lt

Politics

War in Ukraine. Call for Russia to attack: experts warn about risks of U.S. troop drawdown in Europe

Washington and European capitals are revisiting Pentagon plans to reduce the US troop footprint in Europe after fresh warnings from analysts that it would leave NATO’s eastern flank exposed. The concern is not abstract. European officials fear Moscow could read a smaller American presence as a window to step up pressure on the Baltic states and Poland while Russia still has wartime momentum from Ukraine. Allies are now scrambling to decide whether they can absorb more air defence, intelligence and logistics before any drawdown takes hold.

Why it matters

For the Baltics and Poland, the key issue is not just troop numbers but deterrence. A smaller US presence would force regional forces to shoulder more of the burden for air defence, intelligence and rapid response.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

Putin's losses grow: Ukraine lists new successful strikes against Russians

Volodymyr Zelensky on May 28 said he had approved new long-range operations against Russia and tied them to the goal of making Moscow pay for the war with its own losses. He said Ukraine sees signs that Russia’s political leadership is looking for ways to make up battlefield losses, suggesting the pressure is now reaching the top of the system. The remarks come after a string of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, which Kyiv sees as one of its main levers against Russia’s war economy.

Why it matters

Strikes on Russian refining and fuel logistics can squeeze supplies for the military and raise Moscow’s repair and security costs. For Ukraine, they offer a way to pressure Russia far from the front and hit the cash flow that sustains the war.

sources:tv3.lt

World

Summary

U.S. forces struck southern Iran today after downing attack drones over Iranian airspace, U.S. Central Command said. Iranian state media reported explosions around Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz, while the Revolutionary Guards said they had downed a U.S. drone and fired on an F-35 fighter.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said yesterday they had hit a U.S. base in the region in response to earlier American strikes on Iranian targets. Kuwait said over the past day that it had detected a missile and drone attack in its airspace. Iranian forces also fired on four ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, and Washington today imposed fresh sanctions on an Iranian body seeking control over shipping through the waterway. The Revolutionary Guards also warned of a “firm response” if the United States repeats its strikes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday ordered the army to seize 70% of the Gaza Strip after Israeli forces had already established control over about 60% of the enclave. Israeli media said the move was intended to increase pressure on Hamas over hostages and disarmament, while the army prepares for a new phase of fighting in Gaza City and the central camps.

Oil prices rose after the new U.S. strikes on Iran, even as China’s oil imports fell to 2016 levels. In Kenya, a dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls School in Gilgil killed 16 students overnight and injured another 79. NASA said today it had identified 10,091 new exoplanet candidates in TESS data after using machine learning to sift signals from 84 million stars.

Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel plans to expand military control in the Gaza Strip. Late in the evening, Israel struck a target in Beirut again, while the US and Iran agreed to extend a ceasefire pending Donald Trump’s approval.

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

Israeli PM orders army to seize 70% of the Gaza Strip

Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military on May 27 to take more ground in Gaza, after Israeli forces had already established control over about 60% of the enclave. Israeli media say the move is meant to ratchet up pressure on Hamas over hostages and disarmament, while the army prepares for a new phase of fighting in Gaza City and the central camps. If carried out, it would push more Palestinians into a smaller southern zone and tighten Israeli control over a strip still at war since October 2023.

Why it matters

For Gaza’s civilians, it means an even tighter zone to move in and heavier pressure on the already crowded south, where displaced families and aid deliveries are concentrated. For hostage families and mediators, the order narrows the space for a deal just as military control expands.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

Iran war: U.S. strikes Iran again

U.S. forces carried out self-defence strikes in southern Iran on May 28 after downing attack drones over Iranian airspace, U.S. Central Command said. Iranian state media reported explosions in the Bandar Abbas area near the Strait of Hormuz, while the Revolutionary Guard said it had shot down a U.S. drone and fired on an F-35 fighter. The new strikes came hours after Kuwait said it faced a missile and drone attack and after Washington imposed fresh sanctions on an Iranian body seeking control over shipping in the strait.

Why it matters

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for global oil and gas flows, so renewed fighting quickly feeds into higher energy and shipping costs for Europe and Asia. Airlines, tanker operators and insurers now face a sharper security risk around one of the world's busiest chokepoints.

sources:delfi.lt

Politics

Iran's Revolutionary Guards target U.S. base in response to strikes

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on May 27, 2026 that they had struck a U.S. base in the region in response to earlier American attacks on Iranian targets, but gave no precise location. The claim came after several days of tit-for-tat strikes, including U.S. actions against missile launch sites and vessels laying mines. Tehran has warned Washington to keep its forces out of the line of fire, while the U.S. says its strikes were aimed at protecting American troops.

Why it matters

The exchange raises the risk to U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria and other regional bases, where forces remain exposed to rockets and drones. It also threatens oil and shipping routes across the Persian Gulf, with any disruption quickly feeding into European energy markets.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

Kuwait reports rocket and drone attack

Kuwait’s military said on May 28, 2026 it had detected a missile and drone attack in its airspace, but gave no details on the target or launch point. The warning landed as a fragile ceasefire in the Iran war wobbled after US and Iranian strikes, with Tehran later saying it had carried out an attack in the region. Kuwait is a US ally and has been hit before during earlier phases of the conflict, putting the country back on alert.

Why it matters

The attack raises the risk to Kuwait’s airport, oil facilities and shipping lanes off the Gulf coast. Any broader exchange could disrupt flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that matters for European energy supplies.

sources:15min.lt

Society

Police source: 16 people died in a fire at a Kenyan girls' dormitory

A dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls School in Gilgil, central Kenya, killed 16 students overnight on May 28, officials said. Another 79 pupils were injured, and the school serves more than 800 girls, many of them daughters of police officers. Investigators are now checking whether the school’s fire safety procedures were followed and what sparked the blaze.

Why it matters

For hundreds of families, the immediate issue is hospital care, identification and tracing of pupils scattered across several facilities. The investigation could force a review of dormitory safety rules in Kenya, where deadly school fires have already prompted earlier scrutiny.

sources:15min.lt

Technology

Impressive: 11,000 new exoplanets found

NASA researchers have identified 10,091 new exoplanet candidates in TESS data, and the figure was highlighted in a fresh NASA update on May 28 alongside plans for the Roman Space Telescope. The team used machine learning to comb through the first four years of TESS observations and sift signals from 84 million stars. The candidates still need follow-up observations to weed out false positives, but Roman is expected to push the field further by surveying hundreds of millions of stars.

Why it matters

For astronomers, the finding adds a large pool of targets for follow-up telescopes and pushes more candidate worlds into the queue for confirmation. It also raises demand for complementary observations from ground-based and space-based facilities, including European partners, to separate real planets from false signals.

sources:lrytas.lt