Term
State reserve
The state reserve is a stockpile of goods and equipment kept for crises, mobilisation and emergencies. It can include food, equipment, medical supplies and logistical resources.
27 September 2026
Archived edition
Lithuania
Summary
Mark died on Saturday, and the two-year-old boy had become a symbol of public support in Lithuania in recent weeks. The immediate next steps now concern the family’s farewell arrangements, funeral plans and any public memorial announcement.
Lithuania on Friday used the civil protection exercise Vytis Skliautas 2026 to test a detailed national evacuation plan for the first time. The scenario modelled a mass evacuation, and moving all of Vilnius in wartime would take up to 10 days. The Interior Ministry involved municipalities that would receive evacuees, while the government authorised the use of state reserve supplies for the drill. On Tuesday at 11:52 a.m., sirens will sound nationwide for three minutes as authorities test the warning system and send alerts to phones and through the LT72 app.
Air defence remains in focus after a drone from Belarus carrying explosives flew nearly 80 km across Lithuanian airspace. Residents in the Vilnius and Kaunas regions received alert messages that night, and Italian fighter jets launched from Siauliai destroyed the object at about 00:20 near Pratkunai in Kaišiadorys district. In Dublin, Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas urged EU counterparts to tighten action on organised crime, secure data-sharing and deepen cooperation with Interpol. The push came as the ministry continued a broader review of all its information systems after a cyberattack on EPEKIS.
In Kaunas, UTMA 19 drew attention after Oskaras Buinickas and Brazil's Rodrygo Mineiro clashed at a pre-fight press conference. Their 81 kg quarter-final is one of eight bouts in the bracket competing for a share of a 50,000 euro prize pool, and the event at Zalgiris Arena featured 30 fighters.
In Portugal, Edgaras Riabko won a world title, delivering a historic result for Lithuanian sport. Separately, the government proposed dropping the concept of child consent in sexual offence cases.
sources: 15min.lt, tv3.lt, delfi.lt, lrt.lt, lrytas.lt
Worth knowing
Top stories
Politics
Evacuation of all Vilnius would take up to 10 days: how Lithuania would save residents in war
Lithuania ran planned civil protection drills on September 26, testing for the first time the state’s detailed evacuation plan and the app for registering evacuees. The scenario simulated a large-scale evacuation, with Vilnius included in the movement routes and receiving municipalities also drawn into the exercise. The Interior Ministry said the practical evacuation check took place on September 26. The government also approved use of state reserve supplies for the drills. (pagd.lrv.lt)
Why it matters
For Vilnius residents and city officials, the drills are a live test of whether people can be registered, routed and absorbed by other municipalities without breakdowns. They also show how well civil protection, military commanders and host councils can coordinate under pressure. (pagd.lrv.lt)
Who benefits
Municipalities gain clearer procedures, while residents and emergency services lose if the registration system or reception sites fail in practice. (pagd.lrv.lt)
What's next
The next concrete check is the September 26 phase of Vyčio Skliautas 2026, when officials will assess the evacuee registration app and coordination with military commandants. (vrm.lrv.lt)
sources:delfi.lt
Society
Sad news: the two-year-old Mark who touched thousands of Lithuanian hearts has died
On September 27, news broke that two-year-old Mark has died. His story had drawn wide attention and support in Lithuania in recent weeks. The immediate focus now shifts from treatment to the family’s farewell arrangements and any public memorial plans. If the family announces a funeral or closes a support drive, that will be the next concrete step to watch.
Why it matters
The story affects families dealing with serious childhood illness and the donors who gave money, messages or practical help. It also leaves the family with the emotional and logistical burden of arranging the farewell and handling any remaining support funds.
Society
On Tuesday sirens will wail nationwide: authorities urge residents to heed the warnings
At 11:52 on September 29, Lithuania will test its nationwide warning and information system, with sirens due to sound for three minutes until 11:55. The drill is part of the state-level mobilization exercise Vyčio skliautas 2026, and warning messages will also be pushed to mobile phones and through the LT72 app. Officials say the test will also check sheltering, registration, food, health care and logistics arrangements in participating local areas. Residents are being told to enable emergency alerts on their phones and switch on radio or television when the sirens start.
Why it matters
The test affects anyone who relies on phone alerts, radio or television for emergency warnings. For local authorities, it is a live check of whether they can push alerts fast and manage sheltering and support if a real emergency hits.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Drone with munition over Lithuania flew nearly 80 km, flight reveals three key points
A drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus overnight on Sept. 14-15, 2026, and was shot down in Kaišiadorys district near the village of Pratkunai after crossing the Vilnius, Lentvaris and Trakai areas. Lithuania sent alert messages to residents in the Vilnius and Kaunas regions, and Italian fighter jets launched from Siauliai destroyed the object at about 00:20. Officials said it was the first drone ever shot down over Lithuanian airspace, and two senior officials said it was likely carrying explosives. Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys later said Lithuania would hand Belarus a note and coordinate extra air-defense steps with allies.
Why it matters
Residents in the Vilnius and Kaunas regions received alerts, showing that Lithuania’s air-raid warning system now matters to civilians as well as the military. The episode adds pressure to speed up low-altitude detection and air-defense coverage near the Belarus border.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Lithuania seeks to strengthen cooperation with Interpol and ensure safer information exchange
On September 25 in Dublin, Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas pressed EU counterparts on organised crime, visa policy, information-sharing and work with third countries. Lithuania wants tighter ties with Interpol and safer data channels as cross-border crime and hybrid threats keep moving faster than national systems. The push comes one day after the Interior Ministry disclosed a cyberattack on the EPEKIS system. The ministry is now running a broader security review of its information systems. (vrm.lrv.lt)
Why it matters
This affects border checks, visa processing and criminal intelligence, because safer exchanges reduce the risk of sensitive data leaking to the wrong hands. After the EPEKIS attack, the speed and reliability of information-sharing will shape how quickly authorities can flag people, documents and threats. (vrm.lrv.lt)
sources:15min.lt
Politics
Mineiro, utterly unprepared for battle, proposes removing Buinickas from UTMA: 'Do not invite such people to this organization, it harms its reputation'
At UTMA 19 in Kaunas on September 26, Oskaras Buinickas and Brazil's Rodrygo Mineiro turned a pre-fight press conference into a shouting match ahead of their 81 kg quarter-final. The bout is one of eight in the bracket, with the winner set to claim part of a 50,000 euro prize pool. Mineiro is making his UTMA debut after signing a long-term deal in May, while Buinickas has already fought four times under the promotion. The fight sits on the main card of a 30-fighter event at the Žalgiris Arena. (15min.lt)
Why it matters
This matchup decides who stays alive in the 81 kg title race and who gets a shot at the 50,000 euro purse. It also helps define the tone of a tournament built around a full eight-man bracket. (lrytas.lt)
sources:tv3.lt
Europe
Summary
Kyiv came under Russian drone attack for a third straight day, with one person killed in the Shevchenkivskyi district and the injury toll rising to nine by mid-morning. The strike hit a non-residential building and set an auto repair centre on fire, while a drone late the previous evening slammed into an empty apartment block in the same district. In Solomianskyi, blast waves damaged a five-storey residential building, a warehouse and a repair centre, and Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defences were active over the capital through the night. Volodymyr Zelenskiy added that Moscow struck a data centre twice on Sunday, and Ukraine said it neutralised about 150 Russian drones over the past day.
Zelenskiy said yesterday that Ukraine is now intercepting 55% of Russia's jet-powered drones. He said military and security chiefs had reported on speeding up interceptor-drone production and bringing private industry into air-defence manufacturing. Kyiv is also trying to close a $28 billion defence funding gap, with some drone orders needed in October and November for delivery early next year.
In Sumy, a Russian guided bomb hit a children's home yesterday, and a separate strike in the city centre injured civilians, including an infant. Local authorities said 23 people, including four children, were wounded in Sumy yesterday, and rescue crews checked the building for casualties and internal damage. In Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson region, about 6,000 residents are left with aid cut and safe evacuation close to impossible. Ukraine's ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said Russian authorities had effectively blocked humanitarian evacuation, and the Kremlin had already acknowledged critical shortages of food and medicine there.
In New York, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met Sergei Lavrov in the first known talks at that level since early 2022. Berlin told Moscow to step back from what it called dangerous escalation against Germany, Europe and NATO, and reaffirmed that support for Ukraine would continue.
At least eight people were killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine, including in Kyiv. Poland said it was prepared to build a Patriot missile plant for Ukraine.
sources: lrt.lt, delfi.lt, vz.lt, 15min.lt, lrytas.lt, tv3.lt
Worth knowing
Term
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a 32-member military alliance built around collective defence. Its Article 5 says an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
Top stories
Politics
Russia attacked Kyiv for the third day in a row: one dead and at least four injured
A Russian drone hit a non-residential building in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district on Sept. 27, killing one person and injuring at least four. Late on Sept. 26, another drone slammed into an empty apartment block in the same district, while blast waves damaged a five-storey residential building, a warehouse and an auto repair centre in Solomianskyi. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defences were active over the city overnight, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow struck a data centre twice on Sunday. Ukraine said its air defences neutralised about 150 Russian drones in the past day.
Why it matters
For Kyiv residents, the immediate cost is more deaths, injuries and damage to homes and business premises. Hits on warehouses, repair shops and data centres add pressure on a city infrastructure already being repaired under wartime conditions.
Who benefits
Russian drone operators and military planners gain from the strikes, while Kyiv civilians, apartment managers, warehouse owners and repair businesses bear the losses.
What's next
Kyiv city authorities are expected to assess the damage in the Shevchenkivskyi and Solomianskyi districts and update the casualty count in the coming hours.
Politics
Russia bombed a Sumy children’s home
A Russian guided bomb hit a children's home in Sumy on Sept. 26, the latest strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city near the Russian border. The same day, local officials reported another blast in central Sumy that injured civilians, including an infant. Sumy has been hit repeatedly in recent days by guided aerial bombs, with regional authorities saying 23 people, including four children, were wounded on Sept. 26. Rescue crews and municipal services were checking the building for casualties and assessing the damage.
Why it matters
Children's care facilities are among the most exposed civilian sites, so a hit forces urgent evacuations and a scramble for safer shelter and continuity of care. For Sumy region, it adds pressure on emergency services already dealing with a steady flow of civilian casualties.
sources:delfi.lt
Environment
“Death traps”: in the occupied city of Russia a critical situation
Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson region is now in a critical state, with aid deliveries cut and safe evacuation close to impossible, Ukrainian officials and international reports said on September 27. Kyiv says about 6,000 people remain in the city, down from a pre-war population of 24,000, and civilians are being forced to risk drone fire and shelling to find food and water. The Kremlin acknowledged on September 21 that Oleshky faces a critical situation and problems with food and medicine supplies. Ukraine’s ombudsman says Russian authorities have effectively blocked humanitarian evacuation, turning the city into a death trap. (meduza.io)
Why it matters
Civilians left in Oleshky are losing access to food, water and medicine, while every trip out of the city can turn deadly because of drones and shelling. For aid agencies, the blockade means humanitarian access is close to frozen, and any evacuation now depends on Russian occupation authorities. (en.interfax.com.ua)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
War in Ukraine. Zelenskiy: Ukraine strengthens defense and drones are increasingly intercepted
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on September 26 that Ukraine is now intercepting 55% of Russia's jet-powered drones. He said the military and security chiefs had briefed him on speeding up interceptor production and pulling in private industry to make air defence systems. A day earlier, he said Ukraine faces a $28 billion defence funding gap, with part of the money needed for drones that must be ordered in October and November for delivery in January and February. Kyiv is counting on European Union funding to help close the shortfall.
Why it matters
For Ukrainian civilians, a higher interception rate means fewer fast drones reaching cities, energy sites and transport hubs, but the threat remains. For defence firms and European backers, the key issue is whether money arrives fast enough to fund interceptor orders before winter.
sources:lrt.lt
Politics
Germany urges Russia not to escalate and confirms support for Ukraine
Russia and Germany’s top diplomats met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26, their first known talks since early 2022. Johann Wadephul pressed Sergei Lavrov to step back from a dangerous line of escalation against Germany, Europe and NATO. The meeting came as Berlin and Moscow were already locked in fresh tensions over a suspected drone operation near Leipzig airport and mutual consulate closures. Germany also reaffirmed that support for Ukraine will continue.
Why it matters
For Ukraine, the meeting shows Berlin is keeping military and political support separate from any limited diplomatic contact with Moscow. For NATO allies, it signals that pressure on Russia and aid for Kyiv will stay paired with talks at the UN.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Russian drones struck Kyiv and several Ukrainian regions
A Russian drone hit a non-residential building in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district on Sept. 27, with Mayor Vitali Klitschko reporting one dead and nine injured by 10.28 a.m. local time. Ukraine's emergency service said the strike ignited an auto repair centre. It was the third straight day of Russian drone attacks on the capital. Earlier strikes on Sept. 25 killed a child in Kyiv, while Sept. 24 attacks killed two more people and damaged a maternity hospital.
Why it matters
For Kyiv residents, the strikes mean repeated air-raid danger during the day and direct risk to homes and civilian businesses. Emergency crews and hospitals have to operate under near-daily attack conditions, pushing up the toll of dead and injured.
sources:delfi.lt
World
Summary
India and Nepal have recorded at least 68 deaths from heavy rain and storms over the past three days. Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for 56 deaths after 66.5 mm of rain fell between Sept. 25 and Sunday morning, far above the normal 7.6 mm for the period. In Nepal, 12 people have died since Thursday and 10 local workers remain missing after an avalanche buried the Himlung Himal base camp in Manang district. Nepal has also warned of possible flash floods in 49 of its 77 districts as major rivers keep rising.
South Africa suffered 27 shooting deaths overnight in two attacks. In Wedela, west of Johannesburg, eight armed men stormed a tavern on Saturday night, killing 17 people and wounding 15, while another mass shooting near Durban hours earlier left 10 dead.
Saudi Arabia said yesterday it intercepted another ballistic missile that it blamed on Yemen's Houthi movement. The Houthis seized the port of Mokha and Mayun island near the Bab el-Mandeb strait days earlier, and air strikes in Houthi-held Mokha over the past two days killed at least six people, including two children and a woman. Donald Trump yesterday rejected Iran's offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days in exchange for ending the U.S. blockade and easing pressure on Tehran.
Israel's military said today it killed a Gaza resident it links to the Oct. 7, 2023 abductions of Israelis into Gaza. The military did not identify him or say exactly where the operation took place, and two days earlier it announced the killings of two other people tied to the attack and hostage holding.
Donald Trump said he hopes to resume talks with Iran next week. In the UK, five suspects were detained near a US bomber base after threats linked to Iran, and Trump said the aim had been to cause significant damage.
sources: tv3.lt, delfi.lt, lrytas.lt, lrt.lt, 15min.lt, vz.lt
Worth knowing
Term
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints. Roughly a fifth of global oil and LNG trade normally passes through it.
Top stories
Crime
Gunfire in South Africa bar kills 17 and injures 15
Eight armed men stormed a tavern in Wedela, west of Johannesburg, on Saturday night and killed 17 people, police said on Sunday. Another 15 were wounded when the gunmen first opened fire on patrons outside and then kept shooting inside the bar. The attack came hours after a separate mass shooting near Durban, bringing the overnight death toll in South Africa to 27. Police are hunting for the suspects and have not given a motive. (amp.dw.com)
Why it matters
The attack lands in communities already living with tavern shootings and gang violence, where police resources are stretched by repeated mass-casualty incidents. For the wounded and nearby businesses, it raises the immediate cost of going out at night and the burden on local hospitals. (amp.dw.com)
Who benefits
Only the gunmen’s network benefits if fear and impunity hold; bar owners, staff and residents in Wedela and nearby townships lose out. (amp.dw.com)
What's next
Gauteng police are still hunting eight suspects and must next establish a motive, plus whether the Wedela attack is linked to the Durban mass shooting. (amp.dw.com)
Environment
Floods in India kill 56 people, in Nepal 12
Heavy rain and storms have killed at least 68 people across northern India and Nepal in the past three days, with 56 deaths in Uttar Pradesh alone. In Nepal, 12 people have died since Thursday, while another 10 workers are missing after an avalanche buried a base camp in the Manang district. Uttar Pradesh got 66.5 mm of rain between Sept. 25 and the morning of Sept. 27, far above the normal 7.6 mm for the period. Nepal has warned of possible flash floods in 49 of its 77 districts as river levels keep rising. (archyvai.lrt.lt)
Why it matters
Farmers in Uttar Pradesh are already reporting crop damage, and officials now face repair costs for more than 1,000 damaged homes. In Nepal, mountain districts remain exposed to more landslides and flash floods, which could complicate rescue work and evacuations. (archyvai.lrt.lt)
Environment
Ten climbers missing in Nepal after a snow avalanche
At least 10 Nepali climbers and guides were reported missing on Sunday after an avalanche hit the base camp on Mount Himlung in central Nepal, the expedition organiser said. Heavy snow had been falling for days around the 7,126-metre peak near the Tibet border, and poor weather has kept rescuers grounded for now. Two helicopters and a search team are waiting to deploy, but the missing are all Nepali. Nepal has issued more than 500 climbing permits for the autumn season, and expeditions on Manaslu and Dhaulagiri have already been halted because of snow and rain. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The missing climbers are local guides and porters whose work depends on narrow weather windows in the Himalayas. The disruption also hits Nepal’s mountain tourism industry, a key source of income. (lrt.lt)
Politics
Israel kills a suspect in the 2023 attack in Gaza
The Israeli military said on Sunday it killed a Gaza resident it suspects took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 abductions of Israelis into Gaza. That assault, led by Hamas militants, killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw more than 250 hostages taken, triggering the war. The army did not say exactly where in Gaza the suspect was killed or give a name. The announcement comes two days after the military said it had also killed two other people it linked to the Oct. 7 attack and hostage holding.
Why it matters
For Gaza residents, it means another targeted Israeli operation in a territory already under sustained military pressure. For families of hostages in Israel, the announcement keeps the focus on the Oct. 7 kidnappings and on what remains of the hostage file.
Politics
Outnumbering the German Army: Who Really Has the World in Their Hands, Husai
Saudi Arabia said on Sept. 26 it intercepted another ballistic missile it blamed on Houthi fighters in Yemen. The launch came days after the group seized the port of Mokha and the island of Mayun, tightening its grip near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, one of the world's key shipping lanes. Yemen told the United Nations on Sept. 24 that Houthi moves around the strait threaten the global economy. On Sept. 22, air strikes in Houthi-held Mokha killed at least six people, including two children and a woman.
Why it matters
Shipping through the Red Sea and Saudi oil exports are now directly exposed to Houthi action. Each new missile launch or coastal advance raises the risk premium for insurance, freight and energy flows across the region.
sources:tv3.lt
Politics
Trump rejected Iran's offer on the Hormuz Strait
On September 26, Donald Trump rejected an Iranian offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the U.S. lifted its blockade and eased pressure on Tehran. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had pitched the plan as a route to a truce and a restart of shipping through a chokepoint that carries roughly a fifth of global oil and LNG flows. Trump’s refusal keeps the standoff over control of the waterway and the terms for any wider deal in place. Later the same day, Trump said the U.S. was currently controlling the strait, while Iran said it was still awaiting an official American reply.
Why it matters
Oil and gas traders still have to price in a political choke point in the Gulf, which keeps shipping risk elevated. European importers and Asian refiners remain exposed to price spikes and delays if the route stays closed or contested.
sources:delfi.lt