Term
NATO air defence mission
This is a broader NATO framework than classic air policing. It covers not only intercepting unidentified aircraft but also faster response and stronger readiness against air and missile threats.
20 September 2026
Archived edition
Lithuania
Summary
Lithuania's military said a drone that entered from Belarus was shot down over Kaišiadorys district near Pratkūnai after NATO air policing jets scrambled from Šiauliai. Alerts were sent to residents in Vilnius, Trakai, Elektrėnai and later Kaunas, and the tracking data was passed to NATO's air defence mission.
President Gitanas Nausėda said the aircraft was likely a Russian-made Gerbera drone, while the bigger threat to Lithuania is wider drone traffic from Belarus and the Kaliningrad region. Deputy Defence Minister Tomas Godliauskas said the incident exposed gaps in how quickly such objects are detected and how fast residents are warned. The defence ministry this month launched a 5 million euro tender for an integrated air-threat detection system and is also buying short-range and passive radars plus test batches of drone interceptors. The ministry said on Sunday that NATO's Baltic mission has operated as an air defence mission since August, replacing the narrower air policing model with a broader and faster response posture.
Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys left for New York on Sunday for the UN General Assembly's high-level week, including a Security Council meeting and sessions on support for Ukraine. His agenda also includes meetings with EU and Nordic-Baltic ministers, a resilience business forum, a Baltic-U.S. agenda event, talks with Jewish organisations in the U.S. and an event marking 100 years of Lithuania's consulate general in New York.
In Klaipėda, the draft law on the port's southern expansion would create new land and build port infrastructure on it, and the port authority said yesterday it is preparing a market study for the project. Separately, an online appeal is circulating for a Lithuanian woman, Ieva, who recently lost her husband soon after marrying, asking for help with the family's immediate costs.
Parliament will consider cases in which parents in old age would lose the right to claim support from their children. As Lithuania prepares for its EU Council presidency, some Litexpo events are being moved to autumn and others cancelled. Musician and M.A.M.A. award nominee Tautvydas Burauskas, 22, was killed in a car accident.
sources: delfi.lt, 15min.lt, lrt.lt, lrytas.lt, vz.lt, tv3.lt
Worth knowing
Top stories
Politics
Missile drill. Downed Russian drone: how Lithuania's air space monitoring and response system works
On the night of Sept. 15, Lithuania detected a drone that entered from Belarus and NATO air policing jets from Šiauliai shot it down over the Kaišiadorys district near Pratkūnai, officials said. Air alert notices were issued for Vilnius, Trakai, Elektrėnai and later Kaunas as the object moved across the country, and the military passed the data to NATO's air defence mission. On Sept. 4, the defence ministry opened a 5 million euro tender for an integrated air-threat detection system that would fuse radar and sensor feeds from different agencies in real time. It has also moved to buy short-range and passive radars, plus test batches of drone interceptors.
Why it matters
The airspace watch now affects civilian alerts in Vilnius, Kaunas and nearby districts, because detection speed determines whether warnings go out in time and air traffic is managed safely. A fused system should close the gaps between the military, air defence and other agencies that decide how quickly a drone is identified and neutralised.
Who benefits
The military, NATO air-policing jets and airports gain; drone operators and the Russian and Belarusian military infrastructure behind border provocations lose.
What's next
The defence ministry must evaluate bids in the tender launched on Sept. 4 and proceed with purchases of short-range radars and drone interceptors.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Drone test for Lithuania: talk of a much greater threat
On the night of September 15, a drone crossed into Lithuania from Belarus and was shot down over Kaišiadorys district by Italian jets based in Šiauliai. On September 16, President Gitanas Nausėda said the likely Russian-made Gerbera drone was probably headed for Ukraine, while the bigger threat for Lithuania is the wider drone traffic from Belarus and Kaliningrad. He said Lithuania needs better awareness of those flight paths and stronger detection. Defence officials also said the episode exposed gaps in how quickly the public is warned. (archyvai.lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The issue goes beyond one intercepted drone. If an object can cross the border and stay airborne long enough to reach deeper into Lithuania, the risk falls on air defences, warning systems and civilian infrastructure around Kaunas, Vilnius and Alytus. (archyvai.lrt.lt)
sources:delfi.lt
Economy
In Klaipėda a billion-euro project that will expand Lithuania's territory
The Klaipėda port south expansion bill would create new land and build port infrastructure on it, turning the area into a working part of the port. The port authority updated its project page on September 19, 2026, saying it is preparing a market study for the expansion. The draft law links the project to economic growth, competitiveness and national security. (e-seimas.lrs.lt)
Why it matters
For cargo operators, logistics firms and industrial investors, the project means more room to expand and new access to quay infrastructure, while some coastal users may have to adapt to the reshaped land and port layout. (e-seimas.lrs.lt)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
NATO strengthens air defense in the Baltic states: details revealed
Lithuania’s defence ministry said on Sunday that NATO’s Baltic air mission shifted to air defence in August, after allies decided on the change at their July summit in Ankara. The move replaces the older air policing model with a broader posture meant to keep allied air forces permanently present in the region and ready to reinforce quickly. NATO said on Saturday that air and missile defence remains one of its core priorities on the eastern flank. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The shift matters because it gives NATO a broader toolset to protect Baltic airspace, moving beyond routine intercepts toward faster response and deterrence. That is most relevant for people in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, where drone incursions and airspace violations have become a live security concern. (lrt.lt)
Society
Heartbreaking tragedy: newlywed Lithuanian woman Ieva loses husband; help requested
A plea for help has been circulating online for a Lithuanian woman, Ieva, who recently lost her husband after a fresh marriage. The message asks people to help cover immediate costs and support the family through the first days after the death. Appeals like this often spread quickly in Lithuania because readers can contribute directly to funeral, travel or living expenses. No further publicly verified details about the circumstances have been released yet.
Why it matters
The immediate burden falls on the young family, which has to deal with both bereavement and practical expenses at the same time. The request shifts the load onto donors and relatives who organise and fund the support.
sources:tv3.lt
Politics
Kestutis Budrys travels to New York to attend United Nations General Assembly events
Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has gone to New York for a September 20-24 run of UN General Assembly events, including Security Council meetings and sessions focused on international support for Ukraine. The foreign ministry says he will also join a resilience business forum, a Baltic-U.S. agenda event, and meetings of EU and Nordic-Baltic foreign ministers. His schedule includes talks with Jewish organisations in the U.S. and a centenary event for Lithuania’s consulate general in New York. The trip puts Ukraine and security at the centre of Lithuania’s diplomatic push in the U.S.
Why it matters
For Ukraine backers, the trip is another chance to line up political, financial and security support at the highest level in New York. For Lithuania, it is a way to press Baltic security, resilience and ties with Washington on a global stage.
Europe
Summary
At least two people were killed in the Moscow region in an overnight Ukrainian drone attack, including a 44-year-old woman and an elderly man. One drone hit a 21-storey residential building, causing a fire and forcing the evacuation of about 400 residents. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defences shot down more than 1,600 drones, including 450 aimed at the capital. Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine used long-range weapons in the strike, including Flamingo and Pelican missiles and Palianytsia rocket drones.
Zelenskiy also said yesterday that Ukraine's military counterintelligence had developed and already used a new interceptor drone against jet-powered Shahed drones, and that Kyiv now wants to speed up production with private manufacturers. Russia had earlier said it destroyed 288 Ukrainian drones over the Moscow region, Crimea and the Black Sea in a single day, while Kyiv said it struck an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and a military airfield in the Rostov region. A Russian drone strike in the Kyiv region killed a woman and her two children. Ukraine's Third Army Corps said today that heavy bomber drones had for the first time dropped ground combat robots behind Russian lines, more than 10 km from the front, in the northern Donetsk sector.
Commander Andrii Biletskyi said the Vivaldi operation had moved into a second phase and that Ukrainian forces had liberated Shandryholove and Derylove and taken full control of Drobysheve. Biletskyi said Russian losses in that phase reached another 800 troops, taking total losses above 3,000. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia must take full responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshky, where the last food supplies arrived in late May and civilians remain under a humanitarian blockade. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said yesterday that some Western politicians were trying to provoke a NATO war with Russia and repeated that Slovakia would stay out of any conflict with Moscow.
Ukrainian forces used an FP-7 missile in the Moscow region for the first time. Ukrainian drones also struck Moscow on the final day of Russia's elections, and Russia vowed retaliation against Kyiv. Early results from Russia's parliamentary vote pointed to a win for the ruling United Russia party.
sources: lrt.lt, delfi.lt, tv3.lt, lrytas.lt, 15min.lt, vz.lt
Worth knowing
Term
Shahed drones
Shahed drones are Iranian-designed one-way attack drones used extensively by Russia against Ukrainian targets. They are often launched in large waves to strain air defences.
Top stories
Politics
Operation Vivaldi: Ukrainian forces for the first time sent ground robots behind enemy lines
Ukraine’s Third Army Corps said on Sept. 20 that heavy bomber drones had for the first time dropped ground robots behind Russian lines, more than 10 km from the front. Commander Andrii Biletskyi said the tactic was used in the northern Donetsk sector as the Vivaldi operation moved into a second phase. The corps also said Ukrainian forces had liberated Shandryholove and Derylove and taken full control of Drobysheve. Biletskyi put Russian losses in the phase at 800 more troops, taking total losses above 3,000.
Why it matters
For Ukrainian ground troops, it means fewer soldiers have to cross the most lethal stretch of the battlefield to hit Russian positions or plant explosives. For Russian units in Donetsk, it raises the cost of holding supply routes and rear areas that are now reachable by remotely delivered ground robots.
Who benefits
Ukraine’s Third Army Corps and its drone operators gain, while Russian infantry and logistics units in northern Donetsk lose.
What's next
The next concrete step is whether Ukraine’s Third Army Corps expands the second phase of Operation Vivaldi beyond the Shandryholove, Derylove and Drobysheve axis.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Two people killed in a mass drone attack in the Moscow region
In the early hours of September 20, at least two people were killed in a mass drone strike on Moscow and the Moscow region, according to regional officials. Governor Andrei Vorobyov said the dead were a 44-year-old woman and an elderly man, and that one drone hit a 21-storey residential building, triggering a fire and the evacuation of about 400 residents. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defences intercepted more than 1,600 drones, including 450 aimed at the capital. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine used long-range weapons in the overnight strike, including Flamingo and Pelican missiles and Palianytsia rocket drones. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
Residents in the Moscow region face direct civilian risk when drones hit apartment blocks rather than military targets. Strikes on oil and logistics facilities also hit the war economy and can disrupt fuel supply. (lrt.lt)
sources:vz.lt
Politics
Sybiha: Russia must take full responsibility for humanitarian catastrophe in Oleškos
On September 20, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia must bear full responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshky, as Ukraine’s Council of Churches and Religious Organizations appealed to Pope Leo XIV for help. The council said the last food supplies reached the occupied town in late May 2026 and warned that Oleshky is under a humanitarian blockade. Sybiha called for humanitarian access and civilian evacuations from the Russian-occupied town in Kherson region. Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since 2023.
Why it matters
Civilians still inside Oleshky face worsening shortages if food and aid keep being blocked. If outside pressure does not force a humanitarian corridor, evacuations could remain stalled and the town’s isolation will deepen.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Fico accuses Western politicians of trying to provoke a NATO war with Russia
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in a video posted on Sept. 19 that some Western politicians want to trigger a NATO-Russia conflict after, in his view, the strategy of defeating Moscow through the war in Ukraine failed. He also said Russia cannot be beaten in a conventional war and blamed Western policy for pushing escalation. The comments came as France and Poland both warned in the past two days about Russian hybrid threats and possible drone or missile attacks on NATO territory. Fico also said Slovakia would stay out of any war with Russia.
Why it matters
The remarks matter because they sharpen the argument in NATO’s eastern flank over whether to double down on support for Ukraine or prepare for direct defense against Russian attacks. They also raise fresh questions inside Slovakia about how far Fico is willing to go in backing the alliance’s commitments.
Technology
War in Ukraine: Zelenskiy says we have created a new drone interceptor to fight the Shahed
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sept. 19 that Ukraine’s security service had built and successfully used a new interceptor drone against jet-powered Shahed drones. The presidential website said on Sept. 3 that work is under way to speed up production and bring in private companies to scale air-defence output. Zelenskiy said prototypes already exist, but the next hurdle is proving they are effective enough for mass production. (15min.lt)
Why it matters
Ukrainian cities and energy sites stand to gain if faster interceptors can blunt attacks that are harder to stop with standard air defence. If production scales, Kyiv can add a cheaper layer to its protection against Russia’s evolving drone threat. (president.gov.ua)
sources:lrt.lt
Politics
War in Ukraine. Russia: dozens of Ukrainian drones hit Moscow and other regions
Russian authorities said on Sept. 20 that dozens of Ukrainian drones were intercepted on the way to Moscow as a wider overnight strike hit multiple Russian regions. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 350 drones were headed for the capital and 64 were shot down before reaching it. Russia's Defence Ministry had already said it destroyed 288 Ukrainian drones over several regions on Sept. 19, including the Moscow region, Crimea and the Black Sea. Kyiv separately said its forces had hit targets in Russia, including an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and a military airfield in the Rostov region. (kyivindependent.com)
Why it matters
The scale of the Russian air defence response shows Ukraine can force Moscow to defend the capital and several regions at the same time. That raises the risk for refineries, transport hubs and aviation, because large drone waves stretch air defences and can disrupt critical infrastructure. (kyivindependent.com)
sources:lrt.lt
World
Summary
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today that Ukraine had carried out its first ballistic missile strike on the Moscow region, using Flamingo and Pelican missiles as well as Palianycia drone-missiles. The overnight attack hit a major Russian oil facility and a logistics hub, while Russia said it had downed more than 1,100 Ukrainian drones and that two people were killed in the Moscow region.
Russia's election chief Ella Pamfilova said today that parliamentary election infrastructure had faced more than 1,000 waves of DDoS attacks in recent days. Moscow's online voting system came under heavy overnight pressure, and officials also reported an attempted sabotage of communications lines in the Far East.
Anthropic chief Dario Amodei said today that humanity could lose control of artificial intelligence within 6 to 12 months. TV3 reported that major AI developers are slowing work or considering a pause, while Amodei called for direct US-China talks to curb development and limit biological misuse. China's intelligence chief Chen Yixin also warned over the past day that AI poses a national security threat and could leak sensitive data.
The US military said on Saturday it struck a boat in the Caribbean that it linked to drug trafficking, killing four people. Southern Command released grainy strike footage, and AFP says more than 200 people have been killed since Operation Southern Spear began. Legal experts and rights groups say the campaign may amount to extrajudicial killings.
North Korea fired a second projectile from its east coast into the East Sea today, hours after an earlier launch. Seoul convened an emergency National Security Office meeting and tightened surveillance, while Japan later said the projectile had fallen. South Korea, the United States and Japan then shared intelligence on the launch.
Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet Donald Trump in New York after the two spoke by phone to discuss the plans. Ahead of a planned US-China summit in New York, senior economic officials from both countries also held talks.
sources: tv3.lt, 15min.lt, lrt.lt, delfi.lt, lrytas.lt, vz.lt
Worth knowing
Term
DDoS attack
A distributed denial-of-service attack overwhelms a website or network with traffic from many devices so legitimate users cannot access it.
Top stories
Environment
Threat to humanity: creators warn of 6 to 12 months left, but Trump calls for victory
On Sept. 20, TV3 reported that major AI developers are slowing work or considering a pause after Anthropic chief Dario Amodei warned humanity could lose control of AI within 6 to 12 months. He said the risk is no longer abstract, citing signs of autonomous behavior and misuse attempts, and said leaders at OpenAI, Google and Elon Musk agree the danger is real. Amodei called for direct U.S.-China talks on slowing AI development and limiting biological misuse. China’s intelligence chief Chen Yixin also warned the technology poses a national security threat and could leak sensitive data.
Why it matters
AI firms now face a trade-off between shipping faster models and adding tighter safeguards, while governments may have to write new control rules. The immediate exposure sits with biotech, cybersecurity and any sector handling sensitive data.
Who benefits
Security and compliance teams gain ground, while fast-release product units, startups and profit-focused tech firms lose room to move.
What's next
The next concrete step to watch is the U.S.-China dialogue on AI limits that Amodei is urging.
sources:tv3.lt
Politics
Zelenskiy: Ukraine carried out the first ballistic missile strike against Moscow
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sept. 20 that Ukrainian forces used long-range Flamingo and Pelican missiles, plus Palianycia drone-missiles, in an overnight strike on the Moscow region. He said the targets included a major oil site and a logistics facility. Russian officials said more than 1,100 Ukrainian drones were shot down across Russia and occupied Crimea, while two people were killed and 20 wounded in the Moscow region. The strike came on the final day of Russia’s parliamentary vote. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
The hit on oil and logistics sites matters because those facilities support Moscow’s fuel supply and the wider Russian war economy. It also forces Russia to divert air defenses toward the capital region, which can thin coverage elsewhere. (apnews.com)
sources:15min.lt
Politics
More than 1,000 attacks against Russia's election infrastructure
Russia's election chief Ella Pamfilova said on September 20 that election infrastructure had faced more than 1,000 DDoS waves in recent days, with Moscow's online voting system coming under heavy overnight attack. The comments came on the final day of Russia's Sept. 18-20 parliamentary vote, the first wartime Duma election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian officials also said a sabotage attempt hit communications lines in the Far East, although they claimed the disruption was quickly repaired. The vote is taking place in occupied parts of Ukraine as well, giving the Kremlin a broader target for cyber and physical pressure. (15min.lt)
Why it matters
Russia's election machinery and communications network are being hit at the exact moment the Kremlin wants to project turnout and control. Any disruption can undermine confidence in online voting and make participation harder in regions that lean on remote systems. (15min.lt)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
US ship struck again in the Caribbean; four people killed
The US military said on Saturday it struck a boat in the Caribbean that it believed was being used for drug trafficking, killing four people. US Southern Command said intelligence had confirmed the vessel’s role and posted a grainy video of the strike. The operation, called Southern Spear, began in early September 2025 after Donald Trump said Washington was effectively at war with Latin American cartels. AFP says more than 200 people have been killed in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific since then, while critics say the strikes may amount to extrajudicial killings. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
Caribbean states and US legal institutions now face a sharper question over whether these strikes are counter-narcotics operations or violations of international law. If Washington does not provide evidence, pressure will grow for identification of the dead, accountability and possible investigations. (lrt.lt)
Politics
Seoul: North Korea launches an unidentified projectile into the East Sea
North Korea fired a second projectile from its east coast into the East Sea on Sept. 20, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The launch came hours after an earlier firing and followed Pyongyang's rejection this week of a U.N. nuclear watchdog resolution calling for a halt to its nuclear work. Seoul convened an emergency National Security Office meeting and tightened surveillance. Japan's defence ministry later said the projectile had fallen, while South Korea, the United States and Japan shared intelligence on the launch. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
South Korea and Japan now need to keep air and maritime surveillance at a higher alert level, with each new launch forcing a fresh check on response times and defence readiness. The episode also adds pressure on regional diplomacy, because Seoul, Washington and Tokyo have to coordinate their response to the same nuclear and missile signal. (lrt.lt)