4 July 2026

Archived edition

Lithuania

Summary

Kazlų Rūda declared a municipal emergency over the Jūrė pond dam in the village of Jūrė. Mayor Mantas Varaška acted after a June 30 emergency operations meeting found the dam could threaten people, property and the environment. The municipality says the structure has been in critical condition since 2018, but repairs require lowering the reservoir and securing an environmental permit.

In Vilnius early on Saturday, a BMW 530e driven by a 19-year-old woman crashed into a lamp post on Žirmūnų Street, killing two young people. Police said the driver was drunk, and investigators are examining the car’s speed, the identities of the passengers and whether street racing was involved. This week, the STT searched the Širvintos district municipality and other locations in a probe into how Živilė Pinskuvienė’s mother bought an apartment in Palanga and into public procurement in Širvintos. Pinskuvienė says her daughter had no procedural status even though officers took a bank-owned phone with login codes from her, while Skirmantas Malinauskas has publicly linked the case to a possible bribe tied to won contracts.

President Gitanas Nausėda’s chief adviser Deividas Matulionis said Lithuania has raised its readiness level after recent drone incidents in the Baltic states. He said Vilnius is looking to buy several low-altitude radar systems, but the procurement is not yet complete, and officials are assessing what extra steps are needed to protect Lithuanian airspace. In Klaipėda over the past day, the US Navy command ship USS Mount Whitney drew attention as the flagship of the US Sixth Fleet and a symbol of Lithuanian-US military cooperation in the Baltic region. At the Belarus border on Saturday, Lithuanian guards turned back four irregular migrants, while Latvia refused entry to 91 foreigners the same day.

A man was killed during a race in Kačerginė and his son suffered a serious head injury. Initial reports said spectators should not have been in that area. In Šiauliai, a two-year-old boy who fell from a window died.

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

Worth knowing

Term

STT

Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service is the agency responsible for investigating corruption and preventing it in the public sector. It can carry out searches, gather evidence and run pre-trial investigations.

Search Wikipedia

Europe

Summary

Vladimir Putin on Friday told Russian commanders to keep up mass missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, targeting the defence industry and the infrastructure supporting it. His order came two days after Russia's biggest strike on Kyiv of the full-scale war killed nearly 30 people and wounded more than 90. Russian state media also said Putin instructed the General Staff to prepare retaliation options over increasingly frequent Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian infrastructure inside Russia. At least four people, including a child, were killed in daytime strikes in the Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday invited Putin to meet in Kostiantynivka after the Russian president said a day earlier that his forces had captured the Donetsk region city. Ukraine's General Staff rejected the claim and said the town remains under Ukrainian control, while the DeepState mapping project also shows no Russian control there. Zelensky also discussed air defence with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Ukraine's long-range campaign also reached St Petersburg, where a drone attack caused a fire at one of the city's biggest oil terminals.

A superyacht linked to Putin was on Saturday heading north off Norway, tracked by NATO and escorted by two Russian warships. The 82-metre Graceful had earlier been seen in Danish waters with its transponder switched on for the first time since 2022, and its reported route points toward Murmansk. In business, EQT's £10.9 billion takeover of Intertek remains one of the UK's biggest buyouts of 2026, and about £300 million of value still had to be bridged after Intertek paid its 107.7p final dividend on June 24. In science, Europe's Euclid space telescope released the largest image yet of the Milky Way's centre, capturing about 60 million stars.

Ukraine's air defence shot down 69 of 86 Russian drones. A Russian strike also damaged one of Zaporizhzhia's oldest historic buildings.

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

Worth knowing

Term

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance linking Europe and North America through collective defence. Its Article 5 says an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

War in Ukraine. Putin says Russia’s mass attacks on Ukraine must continue

On July 4, 2026, Vladimir Putin told Russian commanders that mass missile and drone strikes on Ukraine must continue, targeting the country’s defense industry and the infrastructure that supports it. His remarks came two days after Russia’s largest strike on Kyiv of the full-scale war, which killed nearly 30 people and wounded more than 90. Russian state media also quoted Putin as ordering the General Staff to prepare retaliation options over increasingly frequent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure. The timing keeps the aerial campaign front and center as both sides widen long-range attacks, while daytime strikes in Sumy and Zaporizhzhia killed at least four people, including a child.

Why it matters

Ukrainian civilians and city infrastructure remain the main targets, which means more deaths, injuries and evacuations from struck areas. Hits on defense industry sites and retaliation against Russian civilian infrastructure also raise the strain on air defenses and emergency services on both sides.

Who benefits

Russia’s war industry and military command benefit, while Ukrainian civilians, the energy sector and defense firms bear the losses.

What's next

The next concrete step is the set of retaliation options the Russian General Staff was ordered to prepare after Ukrainian drone strikes.

sources:lrt.lt 15min.lt

World

Summary

Mexican authorities found the remains of journalist Roxana Guzman in Veracruz on Friday. Eight suspects have been detained over the abduction and murder, including four municipal police officers who prosecutors say provided resources, food and logistical support to the criminal group.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday congratulated the United States on the 250th anniversary of its independence and thanked Washington for supporting Ukraine. He singled out Javelin missiles and Patriot air defences as weapons that have helped save lives and called for fruitful cooperation with the US. Colombia beat Ghana 1-0 in Kansas City yesterday, with Jhon Arias scoring early to send Colombia into the last 16. Argentina then needed extra time on Friday to beat Cape Verde 3-2, with Lionel Messi scoring his 20th World Cup goal before Cristian Romero won it in the 111th minute.

In US tech, Meta stayed in focus after its shares jumped about 8%. The company is preparing a Meta Compute plan to rent surplus AI capacity to outside customers or give them access to Meta-hosted models. In Berlin, Friedrich Merz met Gitanas Nauseda, Kristen Michal and Edgars Rinkevics before the NATO summit to discuss Baltic security and Germany’s regional role. The talks underlined continued uncertainty in Baltic capitals over Washington’s signals and which defence commitments the White House will actually back.

Russia sent severely wounded soldiers back to the front, including men who were nearly blind, unable to move an arm or had lost their hearing. Representatives of Iran-backed Hezbollah and Hamas attended Ali Khamenei's funeral.

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

Worth knowing

Term

Javelin

Javelin is a portable anti-tank missile system used by infantry against armoured vehicles. It became one of the earliest and most visible US weapons supplied to Ukraine.

Bodies of kidnapped journalist found in Mexico

Mexican authorities found the remains of journalist Roxana Guzman in Veracruz on Friday, July 4, the state prosecutor’s office said. Two armed men, wearing what appeared to be government uniforms, stormed her home in early June and abducted her in an attack captured on video. Eight people have been detained and charged with murder, including four municipal police officers. Prosecutors said the officers provided resources, food and logistical support to the criminal group behind the abduction.

Why it matters

For journalists in Veracruz, the case suggests that local criminal networks and municipal police can act together against the press. It also puts newsroom safety and homicide investigations back at the center in Mexico, where two other journalists have already been killed this year.

Who benefits

Local prosecutors gain from showing progress in the case, while Veracruz newsrooms and reporters bear the cost of a more dangerous working environment.

What's next

The next step is the murder case against the eight detainees, including the four municipal police officers.

sources:15min.lt lrt.lt

Politics

Zelenskiy on US Independence Day: Ukraine highly values American support

On July 4, 2026, Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the United States on the 250th anniversary of its independence and thanked Washington for backing Ukraine. He singled out U.S. weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles and Patriot air defences, as tools that have helped save lives. Zelenskyy also called for fruitful cooperation with the United States. Ukrainian outlets said the message was timed to a day that carries extra weight as Kyiv keeps pressing for continued American support in the war.

Why it matters

For Ukraine’s army, the key point is not the greeting itself but the signal about future U.S. arms and air-defence support. Civilians are directly affected because Patriot systems and other American weapons determine how many missiles and drones can be intercepted.

sources:delfi.lt

4 July 2026

Lithuania

STT

Emergency declared in Kazlų Rūda: the situation only worsens

Nausėda's adviser on increased Russian threat: readiness level is raised

An unusual US warship arrived in Klaipėda: there are only two such ships in the world

Four irregular migrants turned back at the border with Belarus; Latvia did not admit 91 foreigners

Tragic accident in the capital Vilnius: two youths died

Phone of Pinskuvienė's daughter seized; Malinauskas says the daughter is 'just a propagandist'

Europe

NATO

War in Ukraine. Putin says Russia’s mass attacks on Ukraine must continue

World

Javelin

Bodies of kidnapped journalist found in Mexico

Zelenskiy on US Independence Day: Ukraine highly values American support

Putin's superyacht sails through NATO waters – pursued by Ukrainian drones

Zelensky invites Putin to meet in the occupied Kostyantynivka

Month-long deal: EQT to buy Intertek for 10.9 billion GBP

Silicon Valley week: Meta seeks new ways to profit from AI

Even if you crawl on your knees, but... White House decisions puzzle Baltic diplomats – a mystery

Colombia beat Ghana to open doors to the next World Cup stage

FIFA World Cup: Argentina versus Green Cape