7 October 2026

Lithuania’s government on Tuesday granted project-of-state-importance status to a 36.4 million euro second ammunition line at Giraites ginkluotes gamykla. The move should speed planning, construction and permits at the state-owned factory, the only ammunition producer in the Baltic states, while raising output and reducing reliance on outside suppliers.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius on Monday ordered the defence ministry to prepare Lithuania’s offer for a permanent U.S. troop deployment. The step followed Donald Trump’s remarks about a possible permanent U.S. base in Lithuania, while Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said discussions were already under way. The Lithuanian army also received its first batch of U.S.-made Switchblade 600 loitering munitions, together with launch, control, training and maintenance equipment. Lithuanian defence-tech firms are meanwhile coordinating work in Vilnius and Ukraine on a new generation of drone systems, and the military has already started fielding the Ukrainian-made SkyFortress acoustic detection system.

Police on Tuesday issued an urgent public warning after a rise in scams using the names of public institutions, banks and investment platforms. Officers in Ukmerge said fraudsters are trying to steal money, bank logins and other sensitive data, with older and less digitally confident residents most often targeted. In financial services, Freedom24’s Lithuania head said the platform will soon launch a payment card, adding to a business that already serves more than 600,000 clients across the EU and EEA.

Lithuania has authorised the deployment of troops near its border with Russia's Kaliningrad region for several weeks. Interior Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said the move was linked to the risk of possible Russian mobilisation.

Kyiv came under one of the heaviest Russian strikes in recent weeks early today, with Ukraine saying it destroyed or intercepted 117 drones, five ballistic missiles and 39 cruise missiles. Explosions were heard across the capital at about 3:15 a.m., strikes were reported in the Podil district, buildings and warehouses were damaged, and the Dovzhenko Film Studio was hit while residents sheltered in metro stations. A Russian ballistic missile that failed to explode is now being neutralised in Kyiv.

In Pryluky in the Chernihiv region, the death toll from a strike on an apartment block rose to 14, including four children. Rescue services said 50 people were wounded, including seven children, and 15 people were pulled from the building, among them one child. Across Ukraine, at least 20 people were killed in Russian attacks today, and the air force said Russia launched at least 50 missiles and 130 drones overnight at several regions.

A separate Russian strike hit an industrial facility in Dnipro. Volodymyr Zelenskiy said yesterday that intelligence showed preparations for a large-scale attack, and today called the barrage one of the most despicable blows. Ukraine also says Russia launched 3,177 jet-powered drones in September, mostly at Kyiv and the surrounding region, and that it is downing about 55% of them while deploying AI-enabled turrets and new interceptor weapons.

In Hungary, Peter Magyar's government is maintaining a sharp break with Viktor Orban's Moscow-friendly line. Budapest in recent weeks has called Russia a threat, expelled 10 Russian diplomatic staff and linked attacks on Ukraine's fuel infrastructure to wider market stability risks.

One person was killed in Sloviansk in a Russian drone attack. Ukraine struck Samara, where the largest oil storage park in Europe was reported on fire.

Israel launched fresh strikes in Gaza on Tuesday, and Gaza City's al Shifa hospital said at least two people were killed overnight. Gaza civil defence identified one of the dead as Mohamed Tamous, a volunteer with a Hamas-run aid service. The strikes came on the third anniversary of Hamas' 2023 assault, as memorial events were held at the Nova festival site and in Kfar Aza, with the war still shaping Israel's campaign before the Oct. 27 election.

Saudi air defences intercepted a Houthi missile north of Riyadh, Saudi coalition spokesman Turki al Maliki said. He said the launch site was detected near Sanaa and would be destroyed. Saudi forces also intercepted a second ballistic missile aimed at Khamis Mushait in the south, and no damage or casualties were reported.

The White House said on Tuesday that Donald Trump had been misinterpreted after remarks at a Nebraska rally were read by critics as a green light for Iran to strike Los Angeles and San Diego. Communications director Steven Cheung said Trump was referring to efforts to stop Iran from gaining the ability to threaten U.S. cities, while California Governor Gavin Newsom and other state leaders accused him of reckless rhetoric. Trump also said he would speak with Vladimir Putin very soon about a suspected pneumonic plague case in Siberia after Russian authorities isolated contacts and tightened precautions following the death of a woman linked to an anti-plague research institute.

In Tennessee, Christa Pike, 50, survived an execution attempt after receiving two doses of pentobarbital, and her lawyers returned to court on Tuesday to seek records including drug lot numbers and needle logs. Governor Bill Lee has paused the state's remaining executions this year and ordered an external review. The State Department is also still telling Americans in Russia to leave immediately, citing wrongful detention risks, terrorism and sharply limited consular help outside Moscow.

Benjamin Netanyahu said on the October 7 anniversary that all Hamas killers would be held accountable. In the Strait of Hormuz, Iran-linked attacks reached their highest level since the war began.