Term
Cassation appeal
A cassation appeal asks Lithuania’s Supreme Court to review whether lower courts applied the law correctly. It is focused on legal errors rather than a full rehearing of the facts.
9 October 2026
Archived edition
Lithuania
Summary
Remigijus Jakštys on Friday filed a cassation appeal with Lithuania’s Supreme Court over his conviction in a case involving the abuse of minors. The court can still review whether lower courts made errors in applying the law.
Gitanas Nausėda on Friday moved to dismiss Court of Appeal judge Viktoras Kažys and had suspended his powers by decree a day earlier. The presidential office said it received the Kaunas court documents and a copy of the September conviction this week, and is now seeking the Judicial Council’s advice before asking parliament to approve the dismissal. Kažys was convicted of bribery in the corruption case linked to the Vijūnėlė estate affair and fined 12,500 euros. Vilnius Regional Court on Friday opened a closed hearing in a case accusing six people of planning a terrorist attack in Lithuania and plotting to kill at least two men. Prosecutors say the targets included activist Valdas Bartkevičius and Lithuania-based Russian opposition figure Ruslanas Gabasovas, while the wider European investigation has identified at least 16 suspects.
In the housing market, flats advertised for less than 10,000 euros in Lithuania remain rare and are usually in remote areas or in very poor condition. Property experts say repairs, utility upgrades and other basic work can push the true move-in cost to several times the listed price. Vilnius Airport was briefly shut earlier this month after authorities picked up what was thought to be an object approaching from Belarus, but the alert turned out to be a flock of birds. The incident still disrupted three flights and marked the second such airspace scare in Vilnius in three weeks.
A man was shot dead in public on Savanoriu Avenue in Vilnius during a conflict. The suspect, who used a legally held firearm, was detained. Lithuania's Foreign Ministry handed Russia a strong protest note.
sources: 15min.lt, delfi.lt, tv3.lt, vz.lt, lrt.lt, lrytas.lt
Worth knowing
Top stories
Politics
President initiates dismissal of judge Kažys convicted of bribery
President Gitanas Nausėda moved to dismiss Supreme Court appeals judge Viktoras Kažys and suspended his powers by decree on October 8. The presidential office said it received the relevant court papers on October 6 and is seeking the Judicial Council’s advice before asking parliament to approve the dismissal. Kažys was convicted of bribery in the same corruption case tied to the Vijūnėlė estate affair and fined 12,500 euros. The Judicial Council is due to meet on October 30, 2026.
Why it matters
For the judiciary, this is another corruption case that can end in removal and shape who sits on one of the country’s top appellate benches. Parliament must still approve the dismissal, so the next decision carries institutional weight beyond the courtroom.
Who benefits
The Judicial Council and the presidency gain procedural clarity, while Viktoras Kažys and the Lithuanian Court of Appeal lose standing and credibility.
What's next
The Judicial Council is set to meet on October 30, 2026, and decide whether to advise the president to seek parliament’s approval for Kažys’ dismissal.
Crime
Jakštys convicted of abusing minors appeals to the Supreme Court
Remigijus Jakštys filed a cassation appeal with Lithuania’s Supreme Court on Oct. 9 over his conviction in a case involving the abuse of minors. LRT reported the filing today. The top court can still review whether lower courts made legal errors. That leaves the case open for another round of judicial scrutiny. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The appeal matters to victims’ families and prosecutors because the Supreme Court can leave the conviction in place or send the case back down. That will determine whether the case is near its end or heads into another trial round. (lrt.lt)
Crime
Court set to take up the case of members of a terrorist group planning a murder in Vilnius.
Vilnius Regional Court said last week it would take up a case against six members of an organised terrorist group accused of plotting a terror attack in Lithuania and planning to kill at least two men, including Valdas Bartkevičius and Ruslanas Gabasovas. Prosecutors say the indictment also covers terrorist recruitment, financing, illicit data collection and illegal possession of software and passwords. The main suspects were arrested in Vilnius on March 12, 2025, after a police operation involving the anti-terror unit Aras. The case was split off from a broader investigation that has identified at least 16 people from multiple countries linked to terror offences across Europe. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
For the security services in Vilnius, the hearing will test how far the plot reached and what role the wider cross-border network played. For the intended targets and the agencies guarding them, the case could expose links between local operatives, financing and organisers abroad. (lrt.lt)
sources:15min.lt
Politics
Three unmanned aerial vehicles intercepted and grounded at airports
Vilnius Airport was shut for less than an hour on Oct. 3 after Lithuanian authorities picked up a suspected drone coming from Belarus. NATO jets scrambled from Šiauliai, but the target turned out to be a flock of birds, not a drone. The alert still disrupted three flights and forced the airport to pause operations while the check was carried out. It was the second such airspace scare in Vilnius in three weeks. (aol.com)
Why it matters
Airlines and airport operators face more precautionary checks that can quickly ripple into delays and diversions. The military and civil aviation authorities also have to spend scarce time separating real threats from false radar returns. (aol.com)
sources:delfi.lt
Crime
Court to hear case of planned terrorist act
Vilnius Regional Court opened a closed hearing on Oct. 9, 2026 in a case accusing six people of planning a terrorist attack in Lithuania and plotting to kill at least two people. Prosecutors sent the case to court in early September, with the alleged targets named as activist Valdas Bartkevičius and Russian opposition figure Ruslanas Gabasovas, who lives in Lithuania. The court said the proceedings would be behind closed doors after a request from the prosecution. The investigation is tied to surveillance work that, according to local reports, began in the summer of 2024. (archyvai.lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The case matters for the safety of Bartkevičius and Gabasov because the allegations go beyond threats and point to planned killings and surveillance. Closed hearings also mean the public will see fewer details while judges assess the evidence. (archyvai.lrt.lt)
Economy
Rental up to 10 thousand euros seems real: expert estimates how much it costs to live there
In Lithuania, apartments listed below 10,000 euros are usually in remote locations or in very poor condition, so the sticker price tells only part of the story. The real bill often includes repairs, new utilities, and basic work needed to make the flat habitable. In that kind of deal, the final cost can end up several times higher than the ad price, especially if the property has been empty or neglected for years. That is why experts look at total move-in costs, not just the listing.
Why it matters
For buyers, the low listing price can hide a much larger cash need before move-in. First-time buyers and lower-income households are the most exposed because they have the least room to absorb renovation costs.
sources:delfi.lt
Europe
Summary
Miami is hosting talks today between Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Ukrainian negotiators and European officials. Axios says Kushner and Witkoff could travel to Moscow later this month to continue discussions with Vladimir Putin. Trump said earlier this week that he would soon speak to Putin by phone, and Kyiv is pressing Washington for stronger air defences. The latest U.S. push follows a Sept. 5 meeting in Moscow that produced no public breakthrough on ending the war.
Kyiv also hosted military chiefs from all 32 NATO members today. The gathering was one of the clearest alliance signals of political and military backing for Ukraine in recent days. Ukraine's General Staff said on Oct. 9 that Russian forces lost 1,710 personnel in the previous 24 hours, taking total estimated losses since Feb. 24, 2022 to about 1,549,490. The same daily tally put fresh equipment losses at 67 artillery systems, five multiple-launch rocket systems, one air-defence system and 1,757 drones.
A Russian air bomb strike on Zaporizhzhia killed one person and injured five others. Volodymyr Zelensky also said Ukraine was preparing a new response to Russia. Explosions were reported in Russia's Tver region today, with Ukrainian sources saying a missile-fuel plant under U.S. and British sanctions was hit.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia urged the European Union today to ban Russian food grain transit across the bloc. Vilnius also wants Russian farm-sector oligarchs added to sanctions lists, while Moscow has warned that any direct attack on Kaliningrad would trigger the use of all types of weapons.
The EU said Turkey's restrictions on rights and freedoms are continuing to hinder its bid to join the bloc. A drone attack on Moscow also disrupted air traffic, forcing Vladimir Putin's plane to divert after it could not land in the Russian capital.
sources: delfi.lt, lrt.lt, vz.lt, lrytas.lt, 15min.lt, tv3.lt
Worth knowing
Term
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, wedged between Lithuania and Poland. Its military role and dependence on transit routes make it a recurring flashpoint in Russia's relations with NATO and the EU.
Top stories
Politics
Putin tests the borders of the Baltic states Feigin proposes a response Moscow would not expect
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Oct. 9 urged the European Union to ban Russian food grain transit across the bloc, as Moscow kept up threats over Kaliningrad and warned that any direct attack on the exclave would bring all types of weapons into play. Vilnius also wants the EU to blacklist individual Russian farm-sector oligarchs who back the war, turning trade flows into a new pressure point. Lithuanian officials say rail transit to Kaliningrad is not fully blocked, but sanctioned goods are already restricted. The fight now shifts to Brussels, where the issue will be whether the bloc can turn the Baltic push into enforceable policy. (live.euronext.com)
Why it matters
The Baltic push turns Russian grain transit into a pressure point for Moscow’s export income, while also testing how far the EU is willing to go with sanctions on land routes through its own territory. Approval would strengthen Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia; the losers would be Russian farm exporters and the transport firms moving the cargo. (live.euronext.com)
Who benefits
Baltic governments and Ukraine supporters gain, while Russian grain exporters, war-linked oligarchs and the rail carriers handling the flow lose. (live.euronext.com)
What's next
The European Council and the European Commission now have to decide whether to fold the Baltic grain-transit ban into the next sanctions package. (live.euronext.com)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Putin met with the Iranian president and offered to help end the war
A minor was sprayed with tear gas in a public place in Vilnius on the evening of October 8, 2026, according to 15min. The report, published on the morning of October 9, said the attacker was an unknown man. No exact location or age was given, and the report did not say whether police had opened a pre-trial investigation. The account offered no further detail on the victim’s condition.
Why it matters
For parents and schools, the key issue is public safety in open city spaces, not just crime in isolated locations. The case also raises questions about where children in Vilnius are most exposed during evening hours.
Politics
In Ukraine in the battlefield, 1,710 Russian soldiers destroyed in the past day
Ukraine’s General Staff said on Oct. 9 that Russian forces lost 1,710 personnel in the previous 24 hours, taking total estimated losses since Feb. 24, 2022 to about 1,549,490. The same daily tally put fresh equipment losses at 67 artillery systems, five multiple-launch rocket systems, one air-defense system and 1,757 drones. Kyiv publishes the figures every morning as part of its war update, using battlefield and logistics data from across the front. The next update is expected on the morning of Oct. 10. (t.me)
Why it matters
The figures show the strain on Russia’s assault units and equipment pool along the front. For Ukrainian civilians, heavier Russian losses can mean less pressure from offensive operations in some sectors. (t.me)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Putin takes action and makes promises regarding the war in Iran
Explosions were reported on Oct. 9 in Russia’s Tver region, with Ukrainian sources saying a missile-fuel plant was hit. The facility is under U.S., British and other sanctions, underscoring its role in Russia’s war machine. Kyiv has been stepping up long-range strikes on energy and industrial targets it says support Moscow’s invasion. The attack came as Ukrainian and U.S. officials were due to discuss the wider war in Miami later the same day. (15min.lt)
Why it matters
A hit on a missile-fuel plant can disrupt supplies for Russia’s forces and force Moscow to divert more resources into protecting rear-area industry. For Ukraine, these strikes are meant to weaken the supply chain behind Russian attacks rather than fight only at the front. (15min.lt)
Politics
War in Ukraine. Axios: Trump's team may travel to Moscow to negotiate with Putin
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are meeting Ukrainian negotiators and European officials in Miami on Oct. 9, and Axios says they could travel to Moscow later this month for more talks with Vladimir Putin. Trump said earlier this week that he would soon speak to Putin by phone, while Kyiv is also pressing Washington on stronger air defenses. The talks come after Witkoff and Kushner met Putin in Moscow on Sept. 5 without producing a breakthrough. The U.S. is trying to stitch together a fresh negotiating track as Russia and Ukraine keep trading heavy strikes.
Why it matters
Ukraine needs the talks to turn into a concrete package on air defenses, energy protection and any ceasefire terms. European capitals are watching to see whether Washington lets the process drift into a narrower U.S.-Russia channel with less room for Kyiv and its allies.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
War in Ukraine. Trump's envoys in Miami will meet with Ukrainian and European representatives
Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due to meet Ukrainian negotiators and European officials in Miami to discuss a plan to end the war with Russia. The talks come after a run of shuttle diplomacy that has already included contacts with Kyiv, Moscow and European capitals. U.S. officials have described earlier rounds as constructive, but no final agreement has been reached. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The talks could determine whether Kyiv gets security guarantees and whether European capitals have to adjust to any deal touching territory or sanctions. For Ukrainian troops and civilians, the stakes are immediate: either the war keeps grinding on or a formal peace track begins. (apnews.com)
sources:lrt.lt
World
Summary
Drones hit the Lukoil-Ukhtaneftepererabotka refinery in Ukhta today, more than 1,700 km from Ukraine’s border. A thick black plume rose above the site after the strike, and the plant processes about 4.2 million tonnes of crude a year for Russia’s northwest and central regions.
The Pentagon said Nidal Malik Hasan’s execution on Dec. 3 will be livestreamed, a rare public step for a military death sentence and the first US military execution since 1961. Hasan, a former Army major, was condemned for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people and wounded 32. The United Nations condemned the plan and said broadcasting the execution live would amount to torture.
In Miami today, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Ukrainian negotiators and European officials are meeting on a new plan to end the war in Ukraine. Axios said the two Trump envoys could return to Moscow later this month for talks with Vladimir Putin, with sanctions relief under discussion as a possible incentive for a ceasefire. New York City officials said an ICE officer shot and wounded a man yesterday in Marble Hill during a targeted immigration arrest while a child was in the car, and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said seven rounds were fired.
In Mexico, 10 people were killed and 16 inmates were wounded in a riot during family visiting hours at El Castillo prison in Mazatlan, Sinaloa state. Officials said the dead included nine inmates and one visitor, and army, National Guard and navy units were sent to regain control of the prison. In Tennessee, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell is directing $100,000 to voter-protection work as civil rights groups and the NAACP challenge federal plans to place personnel near polling sites.
The United States imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, prompting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call the move a serious blow to international justice. Bloomberg also reported that Russia is spending 40% more on the war in Ukraine than originally planned.
sources: 15min.lt, delfi.lt, lrt.lt, lrytas.lt, tv3.lt, vz.lt
Worth knowing
Term
NAACP
The NAACP is one of the oldest US civil rights organisations. It uses litigation, advocacy and public campaigns to fight racial discrimination and defend voting rights.
Top stories
Politics
New drone attack shakes Russia: oil refinery in flames
Ukraine-linked drones hit the Lukoil-Ukhtaneftepererabotka refinery in Ukhta, more than 1,700 km from the border, on Oct. 9, 2026. Video from the site showed a thick black plume rising above the plant after the strike. The refinery dates back to 1934 and can process about 4.2 million tonnes of crude a year. Its output supplies Russia's northwest and central regions, with some volumes exported through Baltic Sea ports.
Why it matters
The hit landed on one of the key fuel suppliers for Russia's northwest. Any disruption there can affect gasoline, diesel and jet fuel flows to regional markets and exports through Baltic ports.
Who benefits
Ukraine and its military gain, while Lukoil and Russia's fuel supply chain in the northwest and central regions take the hit.
What's next
The next question is how long the Ukhta refinery will have to curb operations after the strike, because no shutdown or repair timeline has been announced.
sources:tv3.lt
Politics
US military will directly broadcast the execution of the Fort Hood shooter
The Pentagon confirmed on Oct. 8, 2026, that Nidal Malik Hasan’s firing-squad execution will be livestreamed. Hasan, a former Army major, was sentenced to death for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, which killed 13 people and wounded 32. The execution is set for Dec. 3, 2026, and would be the first military execution in the United States since 1961. Officials said the case has already gone through military appeals. (abcnews.com)
Why it matters
The decision affects the Fort Hood victims’ families, who will see the case turned into a public, televised military execution on Dec. 3. It also sets a precedent for the U.S. armed forces, which have not carried out a military execution since 1961. (abcnews.com)
Politics
War in Ukraine. Axios: Trump's envoys may again travel to Moscow to negotiate with Putin
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are meeting Ukrainian negotiators and European officials in Miami on Oct. 9 to pitch new ideas for ending the war in Ukraine, Axios reported. A source familiar with the plan said the pair could head back to Moscow later this month for talks with Vladimir Putin. That would follow their Sept. 5 trip to the Kremlin and Kyiv, part of Washington’s latest effort to restart stalled diplomacy. Axios said sanctions relief is one lever being discussed to tempt the Kremlin toward a ceasefire. (axios.com)
Why it matters
For Ukrainian troops and civilians, the key question is whether Washington can extract even a partial ceasefire before winter, which would shape the tempo of strikes and pressure on the power grid. For European governments, the issue is whether any deal ends up tied to sanctions relief for Russia. (axios.com)
Politics
US civil organizations worry about voter intimidation: taking measures
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell will channel $100,000 through his political action committee to voter-protection efforts in Tennessee, according to a fundraising email reported on Thursday. The money is going to Ready PAC, which is partnering with a new group called Nashville Guardians of Democracy to build a volunteer network ahead of November. The push comes as civil rights groups warn that talk of federal agents near polling places could scare voters and trigger legal fights on Election Day. The NAACP and allies have already sued over the Justice Department's plan to deploy roughly 1,000 federal personnel to polling places.
Why it matters
Latino, Black and Asian American voters are the groups activists say are most likely to be chilled by a heavy federal presence around polling sites. The immediate winners are voter-protection groups and local legal teams; the risk sits with federal agencies whose actions could deter turnout.
sources:delfi.lt
Crime
10 killed in a riot at a Mexican prison
Ten people were killed and 16 inmates were wounded on Thursday in a riot at El Castillo prison in Mazatlan, in Mexico’s Sinaloa state, officials said. Authorities said nine of the dead were inmates and one was a visitor, and local media reported firearms were used in the clash. Army, National Guard, navy and state security units were sent in, and federal officials said the prison, which holds about 1,800 inmates, is back under control. Officials have not yet said how the deaths happened, but overcrowding and staff shortages have long fed violence inside Mexican prisons. (archyvai.lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The Mazatlan riot puts pressure on Sinaloa’s security forces, which now have to guard a prison holding 1,800 inmates while also dealing with cartel violence outside the walls. Mexico’s prison system is already stretched, with 261,388 inmates recorded in February, and analysts say overcrowding plus staff shortages keep driving fresh unrest. (archyvai.lrt.lt)
Politics
After a shooting incident, New York City mayor asks Trump to withdraw ICE agents
On Oct. 8, 2026, an ICE officer shot and wounded a man during an arrest in the Bronx, with a child in the car, city and media accounts said. New York officials said the man was Dominican and that the shooting happened in Marble Hill during a targeted federal immigration operation. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he tried to reach President Donald Trump that night and would push for all federal immigration enforcement to stop in the city. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said seven rounds were fired. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
The immediate impact falls on immigrant-heavy New York neighborhoods, where federal arrests can now escalate to gunfire in front of homes and families. The clash between City Hall and Washington could deepen fear of police contact and make local enforcement more contentious. (apnews.com)