Term
Leopard 2A6
The Leopard 2A6 is a German-made main battle tank that Lithuania has chosen for its future tank battalion. It is designed for mobile land warfare and for fighting enemy armour.
28 August 2026
Archived edition
Lithuania
Summary
Two repair brigades from Poland's PGE Dystrybucja began work in the Marijampolė region today to help restore electricity after the storm. The teams brought 11 specialists, two lift platforms and three service vehicles, while more than 46,000 ESO customers were still without power in the morning.
Local emergencies remain in force in Anykščiai district and Kazlų Rūda after the August 23 storm. Five army engineers, 11 volunteer soldiers and five municipal firefighters are working in Anykščiai, while several dozen soldiers are deployed in Kazlų Rūda. About 6,000 residents in Anykščiai district still lack electricity, and roughly 450 customers remain without supply in Kazlų Rūda.
Lithuania's border guard service turned back 13 migrants at the Belarus border over the past 24 hours. VSAT also said two African nationals who entered Latvia illegally from Belarus and then tried to move west via Lithuania will be sent back to Latvia. Since August 3, 2021, Lithuanian border guards have blocked 11,211 people from entering from Belarus.
Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said today that Lithuania is considering hosting more U.S. troops, although no final number has been set. He said more than 1,000 American troops completed their rotation in Lithuania this summer, but some stayed in the country. At the same time, Lithuania has started building a tank battalion this year, its troops are already training in Germany on Leopard 2A6 tanks, and the rebuilt 1st Division is buying CAESAR howitzers, SPIKE and JAVELIN systems, and air-defence equipment.
A corruption case over construction completion documents has again highlighted a 2,000-euro bribe paid in 2021 by Hanner technical director Ramūnas Banys to Nijolė Milkevičienė. In the same investigation, one proposal was for Gediminas Žiemelis to buy real estate owned by the Lithuanian Association for Adaptation of the Environment for People with Disabilities, and in 2023 a court fined Milkevičienė 20,000 euros and confiscated 4,800 euros.
Late in the evening, the main security headline was NATO exercises near Kaliningrad. Lithuania's army chief said the core message to Russia is the alliance's readiness and ability to operate in the region. Separate polling showed support for universal conscription in Lithuania has reached a record high.
sources: delfi.lt, vz.lt, lrytas.lt, lrt.lt, 15min.lt, tv3.lt
Worth knowing
Top stories
Politics
Poland sent aid to Lithuania: two brigades with specialized equipment arrived
On Friday, August 28, 2026, two repair brigades from Poland's PGE Dystrybucja started work in Lithuania's Marijampolė region, bringing specialist equipment to help ESO restore power after the storm. The teams comprise 11 specialists and arrived with two lift platforms and three service vehicles. ESO said the storm still had left more than 46,000 customers without power in the morning. The utility has pointed to Marijampolė as one of the areas where the repairs are taking the longest. (archyvai.lrt.lt)
Why it matters
Households still without power in Marijampolė and other affected regions should see repairs move faster, which also helps restore water and mobile networks where they depend on electricity. For ESO, the Polish crews fill the gap in skilled staff and equipment that has slowed the recovery. (15min.lt)
Who benefits
Households and businesses gain from faster power restoration, while operators and customers facing outages lose time until networks are fully back. (eso.lt)
What's next
ESO's next key update is the full restoration timeline for the remaining customers in Marijampolė, with the company's latest schedule pointing to August 29 for the region. (eso.lt)
sources:tv3.lt
Politics
VSAT: 13 migrants turned back at the border with Belarus
Lithuania’s border guard service said 13 migrants were turned back at the border with Belarus over the past 24 hours. On the same day, VSAT said two African nationals who had entered Latvia illegally from Belarus and tried to reach Western Europe via Lithuania will be sent back to Latvia. Since Aug. 3, 2021, Lithuanian border guards have blocked 11,211 people from entering from Belarus. The agency says a growing share of the pressure now comes via Latvia, where migrants try to keep moving west through Lithuania.
Why it matters
It puts pressure on border guard resources on two fronts. As more migrants move from Belarus into Latvia and then try to cross through Lithuania, VSAT has to detain, process and hand them back to neighbouring authorities.
Society
Extremely situations declared in several Lithuanian municipalities: huge teams are working
After the August 23 storm, Anykščiai district and Kazlų Rūda declared local emergencies on August 25, and crews were still working there on August 28. In Anykščiai, five engineers from the army battalion, 11 volunteer soldiers and five municipal firefighters were deployed, while Kazlų Rūda had several dozen soldiers on the ground. The main task remains clearing fallen trees from power lines and repairing the network. In Anykščiai, about 6,000 residents were still without electricity, while about 450 customers remained off supply in Kazlų Rūda.
Why it matters
Households left without power cannot properly store food or medicines, and some businesses are hit by downtime and damaged equipment. For municipalities, the outage adds pressure on water, sewage and local infrastructure until ESO restores supply.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Robertas Kaunas: possibility of deploying more US troops in Lithuania is being considered
On August 28, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Lithuania is weighing a larger U.S. troop presence, but no final number has been set. He said more than 1,000 American troops finished their rotation in Lithuania this summer, although some remained in the country. The discussion comes as Washington reviews its force posture in Europe and presses allies to shoulder more of the continent’s defence. Kaunas said Lithuania should have most of the U.S. capability it expects in place later this year. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
A larger U.S. presence would strengthen deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank, where American troops are the clearest sign of U.S. commitment. It would also raise the bar for host-nation logistics, exercises and transport infrastructure in Lithuania. (lrt.lt)
Politics
Will German tanks become an easy target? Antanaitis explains why they are needed.
Lithuania is building a tank battalion and sending troops to Germany to train on Leopard 2A6 tanks and live-fire drills. Darius Antanaitis argues tanks are not just an offensive tool, but a core part of defence and counteroffensive operations against enemy armour. The defence ministry is also buying CAESAR howitzers, SPIKE and JAVELIN anti-tank systems and air-defence equipment to make the ground forces work as one package. After more than a century, tanks are returning to the Lithuanian Army through the rebuilt 1st Division.
Why it matters
Tanks change how the army fights and force new spending on crews, maintenance and logistics. The biggest gain goes to units that will operate alongside allied heavy armour, while the burden falls on the defence budget and infrastructure.
sources:delfi.lt
Crime
The bribery-taking executive's demand that G. Žiemelis buy the association's real estate
In 2021, Hanner technical director Ramūnas Banys paid a 2,000-euro bribe to Nijolė Milkevičienė, then head of the Lithuanian Association for Adaptation of the Environment for People with Disabilities, so she would sign construction completion documents. In the same case, Verslo žinios reported that one idea on the table was to sell the association's property to Gediminas Žiemelis. Lithuania's anti-corruption service examined links to Vilnius city administration, the building inspectorate, the labour inspectorate, the public health centre and the land service. In 2023, a court fined Milkevičienė 20,000 euros and confiscated 4,800 euros.
Why it matters
The case affects builders and public bodies that sign off on construction and oversee compliance. Once those decisions are tied to bribes, the credibility of municipal projects and disability groups takes a hit.
sources:vz.lt
Europe
Summary
Kherson suffered a major overnight blow after a Russian strike wiped out all generating capacity at the city’s combined heat and power plant. Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged families with children and older residents to leave because the city could face a prolonged loss of electricity and heating through winter.
Ukraine’s air force said this morning that Russia launched 164 attack drones overnight and that air defence neutralised 137 of them. About 10 drones were still in Ukrainian airspace when the update was issued, and local reports said strikes hit at least 16 sites, damaging warehouses, a shopping centre and rail traffic. Russia also hit Kyiv region with drones today, damaging more than a dozen homes and warehouses, while Ukrainian rescue services reported fresh fatalities in Sumy. A day earlier, Russia blasted Kyiv, ports, industrial sites and retail distribution hubs in a second straight day of major missile and drone attacks.
In Moscow, CIA director John Ratcliffe held talks this week with Russian intelligence officials in a contact disclosed only after the trip ended. Analysts cited by regional media said the channel looked like a US warning against provocations involving NATO rather than the start of formal Ukraine negotiations. Germany’s navy chief said today that Russia is acting aggressively in the Baltic Sea through surveillance, intimidation and suspected sabotage. Interior minister Alexander Dobrindt said Baltic Sea countries are preparing a joint drone defence task force to respond faster to hybrid attacks on cables and other critical infrastructure.
Serbia said today that Ratko Mladic will receive full military and state honours at his funeral. Mladic died in The Hague on Thursday at 84 while serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes from the Bosnian war.
Russia struck a shopping center in Pavlohrad, triggering a major fire. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Russia is preparing to escalate the conflict and that the next 7–8 months will be critical.
sources: 15min.lt, lrt.lt, delfi.lt, lrytas.lt, tv3.lt, vz.lt
Worth knowing
Term
CIA
The CIA is the US Central Intelligence Agency, the main civilian service for foreign intelligence and covert operations. It gathers information overseas and briefs the president and national security officials.
Top stories
Politics
Ukraine air defense neutralized 137 Russian drones
Ukraine's air force said on August 28 that Russia launched 164 attack drones overnight and that air defence neutralised 137 of them. The assault began on the evening of August 27 and was still ongoing when the update was issued, with about 10 enemy drones reportedly still in Ukrainian airspace. Local reports said strikes hit at least 16 sites, damaging warehouses, a shopping centre and rail traffic. The mix included Shahed, Gerbera and decoy drones, with about half of the wave described as jet-powered. (pravda.com.ua)
Why it matters
Civilians and logistics operators feel these raids first, through damaged warehouses, shopping infrastructure and disrupted rail movement. The heavier the mix of decoys and jet-powered drones, the costlier it becomes for Ukraine to keep critical sites covered. (hromadske.ua)
Who benefits
Ukraine's air defence units and local residents gain, while Russian drone makers and Ukraine's retail and rail sectors take the hit. (pravda.com.ua)
What's next
The next checkpoint is the Ukraine Air Force morning update on August 28, which will show whether the remaining drones were brought down and what fresh damage was confirmed in the regions. (ukrinform.net)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
War in Ukraine. Night attack on a Luhansk power plant, residents in Kherson urged to leave
Russian forces struck Kherson’s combined heat and power plant overnight, and regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents, especially families with children and older people, to leave for safer areas. Naftogaz said the plant lost all generating capacity after the hit. Prokudin warned the city could face a prolonged loss of power and heating through the winter. Local authorities are now working on backup energy and heat supply options. (pravda.com.ua)
Why it matters
For Kherson residents, the immediate risk is a long disruption to heat and electricity before winter, with children, older people and those unable to relocate facing the hardest conditions. City utilities and energy workers now have to build stopgap supply systems fast enough to keep residential blocks running. (pravda.com.ua)
Politics
Russia and Ukraine report dead and injured in mutual attacks
Russia hit Kyiv region with drones on Aug. 28, damaging more than a dozen homes and warehouses, while Ukrainian rescue services reported fresh fatalities in Sumy. A day earlier, Russia blasted Kyiv and other cities with missiles and drones, striking ports, industrial sites and retail distribution hubs in a second straight day of major attacks. Moscow says it is targeting military-related sites, but Kyiv says the barrage is meant to grind down civilian life and logistics. Ukraine also answered with strikes on Russian territory, including oil-refining and freight infrastructure. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
Residents in the Kyiv region face more damaged homes, warehouses and disrupted work, while civilians in Sumy remain exposed to direct strike risk near the front. Hitting ports, depots and distribution hubs can feed into higher costs, supply bottlenecks and pressure on autumn energy planning. (apnews.com)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Germany warns of Russia threat in the Baltic Sea and acts aggressively
Germany’s navy chief said on Friday that Russia is acting aggressively in the Baltic Sea through surveillance, intimidation and suspected sabotage. On the same day, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Baltic Sea countries plan to set up a joint drone defence task force to respond faster to hybrid attacks. The move comes amid a string of suspected disruptions to undersea cables and other critical infrastructure in the region since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. (brusselstimes.com)
Why it matters
For Baltic ports, shipping lines and energy companies, the issue is tighter security for navigation and critical infrastructure. If states step up monitoring at sea and in the air, insurance and operating costs are likely to rise. (brusselstimes.com)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladić will receive all state ceremonies at his funeral
Serbia’s justice minister said on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, that Ratko Mladic will receive full military and state honours at his funeral. Mladic died on Thursday in The Hague at 84 while serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes from the Bosnian war. President Aleksandar Vucic attacked the U.N. court for refusing to grant him compassionate release a week earlier. Vucic said the family will choose the burial site and Belgrade would help if they want him buried in Serbia.
Why it matters
The funeral could become a fresh political flashpoint in Serbia and across the region, because Belgrade is publicly associating the state with a convicted architect of the Srebrenica massacre. It will hit families of Bosnian war victims and put Serbia’s relations with The Hague back under scrutiny.
Politics
War in Ukraine. Indicated who the CIA chief may have spoken with in Moscow: did not threaten Russia with consequences
CIA chief John Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials in Moscow this week, in a contact that was disclosed only after the trip had happened. President Gitanas Nausėda said Lithuania had been briefed by partners and would get the details next week. Analysts quoted by LRT said the visit looked more like a back-channel message than formal talks on Ukraine. One reading is that Washington wanted to warn Moscow against new provocations and further escalation around NATO. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
Ukraine and NATO’s eastern flank care less about the optics than about whether the meeting changes Moscow’s calculus on escalation. If Washington did send a hard warning, it would point to tighter deterrence and closer intelligence coordination with allies. (lrt.lt)
sources:delfi.lt
World
Summary
Nepal said at least 469 people have died in flash floods on the China border, and some local reports now put the toll above 500. Rescuers are still searching for more than 1,400 missing people in Rasuwa and nearby districts, including tourists, trekkers and pilgrims heading for Mount Kailash. Nepal's tourism board is still trying to locate 667 missing travellers, while 31 foreign nationals have already been rescued. Nepal and China both renewed flood warnings over the past day because a landslide-dammed lake could unleash another surge.
CIA director John Ratcliffe moved into sharper focus after The New York Times reported that he gave the FSB chief intelligence on Russia's real battlefield position during his Moscow visit. The report said he urged the Kremlin to accept a peace deal because U.S. intelligence believes Vladimir Putin may not be getting accurate information from his advisers about the war and Russian losses. The Kremlin had previously confirmed only that Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials in Moscow and not Putin. Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday he was not worried about a Russian attack on NATO territory, even as U.S. intelligence assesses Moscow could test the alliance with limited strikes or provocations.
Putin this week signed a decree allowing the state to take temporary control of critical infrastructure if owners fail to protect assets from Ukrainian drone strikes or quickly repair damage. The measure covers energy, industrial, communications, transport and logistics assets, and it sets no clear time limit or threshold. At the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, two workers were injured in a drone strike, and Russia later said the spent-fuel storage area was hit in a separate attack. The IAEA had already warned that military activity around the plant was creating serious nuclear safety risks.
Three people were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza. The Israeli military also said it carried out a rare airstrike in the West Bank.
The main late development came from the Middle East, where Israel said it killed a senior Hamas member in Jenin. In Washington, the United States moved toward restrictions on an Egyptian bank as part of a campaign to increase pressure on Iran.
sources: delfi.lt, lrt.lt, 15min.lt, vz.lt, tv3.lt, lrytas.lt
Worth knowing
Term
IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency is the UN nuclear watchdog responsible for safeguards, safety and the peaceful use of atomic energy. It has repeatedly monitored and warned about risks at the Zaporizhzhia plant.
Top stories
Politics
Drones attack Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, two workers injured
Two workers were injured in a drone strike at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on August 25, the plant’s Russian-installed management said. Moscow’s Foreign Ministry said the attack was aimed at plant staff, while the IAEA had already warned on August 20 that military activity around the site was creating serious nuclear safety risks. The plant sits in occupied southeastern Ukraine and has operated under wartime conditions since Russia seized it in 2022. Russia also said on August 26 that the site’s spent-fuel storage area was hit in a separate drone strike.
Why it matters
Plant staff are being forced to work under direct strike risk at an installation that depends on constant maintenance and stable power. The IAEA warnings show how each new hit adds pressure on nuclear safety teams and makes operations harder on the ground.
Who benefits
Both sides can use the strike in the propaganda battle, but Zaporizhzhia plant staff and the IAEA safety mission are the clear losers.
What's next
The next key step is the IAEA’s updated assessment of safety at Zaporizhzhia and any decision on further on-site inspections.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
War in Ukraine. NYT: CIA director passed information about its losses to the Kremlin
On August 28, 2026, LRT, citing The New York Times, said CIA director John Ratcliffe delivered intelligence on Russia’s battlefield losses to the FSB chief during a visit to Moscow and urged the Kremlin to accept a peace deal. The report said U.S. intelligence believes Vladimir Putin may not be getting accurate information from his own advisers about the war and Russian losses. Ratcliffe flew into Moscow on a U.S. Air Force transport plane from Riga, and the trip appears to have been his first since taking charge of the CIA. Moscow had already said he met Russian intelligence officials, but the purpose of the visit was not disclosed.
Why it matters
The war front matters because a direct intelligence channel into the Kremlin can shape Moscow’s calculation on whether to keep fighting or talk. If Putin is indeed receiving distorted loss figures, U.S.-Russian contacts become one of the few levers that could alter his decision-making.
sources:lrt.lt
Politics
Short after CIA chief’s visit to Moscow, did Putin prepare to attack NATO
On Aug. 26, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials in Moscow and, according to U.S. media reports, delivered a warning not to attack NATO members, especially Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Kremlin confirmed the talks the next day but said Ratcliffe did not meet Vladimir Putin. The visit came as U.S. intelligence assesses Moscow could probe the alliance with limited strikes or other provocations. On Aug. 27, Donald Trump told Axios he was not worried about a Russian attack on NATO territory.
Why it matters
For the Baltic states, the trip is a direct signal that Washington sees a real threat on NATO’s eastern edge. For NATO planners, the key issue is not the Moscow meeting itself but the intelligence view that Russia may prefer limited probes over a full-scale war.
sources:tv3.lt
Environment
Nepal flood death toll rises: at least 469 lives lost
Nepal said on Friday that the flash floods along the China border have killed at least 469 people, with hundreds still missing. The disaster hit on Aug. 27 after a glacier collapse sent water, mud and debris down the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems. Rescue teams are now searching downstream, while officials warn that a debris-dammed lake could burst and trigger another wave. Tourism officials say many of the missing are trekkers and travellers, including foreigners. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
Residents in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading have lost homes, roads and bridges, leaving communities cut off from supplies and transport. Nepal’s tourism sector is also exposed, because hundreds of trekkers and travellers are still unaccounted for, including foreign nationals. (lrt.lt)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Without criteria or time limits: what Vladimir Putin's decree really means
On August 24, 2026, Vladimir Putin signed a decree letting the Russian state temporarily take over critical infrastructure if owners fail to protect it from Ukrainian drone strikes or quickly repair the damage. The measure covers energy, industrial, communications, transport and logistics assets. The decree is broad and vague: it does not set a time limit and does not spell out who decides whether the threshold has been met. In practice, it gives Moscow a blunt tool to force companies to spend on defenses and repairs or risk losing control of their assets. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
Russian energy, logistics and telecom firms now face not just drone damage but the risk of state intervention in their assets and management. That will likely force more spending on protection, repairs and insurance. (apnews.com)
sources:vz.lt
Environment
In Nepal and Tibet – new flood warnings, 1,400 people still missing
China and Nepal issued fresh flood warnings on Aug. 28, while rescuers kept searching the Himalayan border region for more than 1,400 missing people after Wednesday's flash floods and landslides. (lrt.lt) Nepal police said the death toll in Nepal alone had climbed to 469, with three more deaths confirmed on the Tibet side. (apnews.com) Authorities say many of the missing are foreign trekkers and pilgrims, including people headed for Mount Kailash in Tibet. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
The missing list includes dozens of foreign visitors, so the search now affects not only border villages but also families of trekkers and pilgrims from India, the US, Europe and other countries. Fresh flood warnings also mean rescuers are working in unstable terrain, where rising water can cut roads and slow evacuations. (apnews.com)