7 August 2026

Lithuania's border guard service removed a photo taken near the Latvian frontier showing detained migrants and a guard kneeling after it drew public backlash. VSAT chief Rustamas Liubajevas said on Friday that much of the information released about the incident did not reflect reality, and that the new investigation should separate facts from rumours. Ombudsman Erika Leonaitė said the successful detention could have been presented in a different way.

A storm hit southern Lithuania on Thursday and Friday, with Dzūkija and the Varėna district among the worst affected areas. Fallen trees blocked roads, damaged cars and buildings, and left thousands of residents without electricity. Firefighters cleared hazards while utility crews worked to restore overhead lines and repair storm damage, including torn roofs. Druskininkai's mayor warned that an emergency situation is taking shape as another storm system is expected.

In politics, Lithuania's opposition said on Friday it will seek an extraordinary meeting of parliament's National Security and Defence Committee over possible Russian provocations in the Baltic states. Parliament speaker Juozas Olekas said little information is public, so any meaningful assessment would have to happen behind closed doors with intelligence briefings. In the economy, Lithuanian goods exports rose about 3% this year and moved close to 20 billion euros, led by a 21.7% jump in mineral fuels and a 4.7% increase in electrical machinery exports. Exports of Lithuanian-origin goods grew more slowly than total shipments, keeping the trade balance in the red.

Separately, rescuers pulled a woman from a car in a pond over the past day and revived her at the scene.

Lithuania's Foreign Ministry issued a protest to Russia. In the United States, Edas Butvilas reached the ATP Challenger semifinals after beating a much higher-ranked Japanese opponent.

Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia lost 1,210 troops and three air defence systems over the past 24 hours. Kyiv says Russia’s cumulative losses have now passed 1 million killed and wounded, while the capital still lacks enough interceptors against ballistic missile strikes.

Zaporizhzhia is being hit by Russian glide bombs four to six times a day, regional chief Ivan Fedorov said. Seafood seller Kateryna Lahuta said two strikes destroyed her shop last month, and residents now use the word “safari” for drone hunting in the streets. A new poll in Kyiv put trust in Volodymyr Zelenskyy at 59%, while former commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi scored 70%. The drop followed protests over decisions on the military and anti-corruption bodies, including the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and a reshuffle after talks with generals.

Russia’s Volunteer Corps said yesterday it had formed a new Ukrainian Volunteer Special Forces Brigade made up of former Ukrainian servicemen. Moscow said the unit was assembled from several earlier formations, as allegations persisted that Ukrainian prisoners were being pressured to take Russian citizenship. In occupied Crimea, reports today said an attack hit Yalta port after gunfire and black smoke were seen there.

Germany convened its security council after an explosives-laden drone was found at Leipzig/Halle airport. Authorities shut both runways, diverted several flights, and federal prosecutors called it a serious attack on transport and logistics infrastructure while also examining a possible link to a 2024 sabotage case. In Ceuta, the death toll from the migrant influx has risen to 80 after Morocco allowed nearly 10,000 people to cross within hours to pressure Madrid over Western Sahara.

A Russian strike hit a football stadium in Odesa, adding to concerns that attacks on the city could sharply cut Ukraine's grain exports through Black Sea ports. In Germany, two drones were spotted over a military base, while Western officials warned Russia may be preparing to annex part of Georgia.

Congo’s Ebola outbreak passed 4,000 confirmed cases yesterday, with more than 1,800 deaths, making it the fastest-moving outbreak on record. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Kinshasa that the response is still lagging behind the virus, and authorities tracked about 200 ferry passengers after a traveler died with Ebola-like symptoms in Mongala province. The United States added $242 million yesterday for Ebola response and related humanitarian aid in the region.

Washington reporting said Volodymyr Zelenskyy used an Oval Office meeting to ask Donald Trump for help securing permission to use Starlink for strikes deep inside Russia. The White House said the same day that Trump had also backed away from an earlier pledge to let Ukraine produce Patriot missiles because US interceptor stocks were tight. US and European security officials have again warned in recent weeks that Russia could test NATO’s eastern flank with a limited strike or sabotage, with the Baltics and Poland seen as the main targets. NATO says Russian aircraft and drone airspace violations have already been recorded this year in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and former US Army Europe commander Ben Hodges said governments should prepare for bolder provocations.

A New Mexico court yesterday ordered Meta to pay $567 million over harms tied to children’s mental health and safety on Facebook and Instagram. Judge Bryan Biedscheid said $420 million will go to treatment services for young people, with the rest funding prevention, screening and other costs over five years; the ruling comes on top of $375 million in civil penalties imposed in March. Syria’s health ministry revised the toll from the minivan explosion in Jaramana near Damascus, saying today that 14 people were wounded, three of them critically, and that no one was killed. War-risk insurers and shipping groups are also warning that premiums have jumped on routes through the Red Sea and the Gulf, making cover harder to secure for some voyages.

The US Senate passed Lindsey Graham's bill on broad sanctions against Russia. It was the most significant late development in international affairs.