Term
IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency is the UN nuclear watchdog responsible for safety, security and non-proliferation oversight. It reviews nuclear practices, sends expert missions and issues recommendations to governments.
13 October 2026
Archived edition
Lithuania
Summary
Former Lithuanian national kickboxing team member Vincas Jasmontas was shot dead in a courtyard on Savanoriu Avenue in Vilnius on Friday evening. The 1981-born 2016 European silver medallist died at the scene from a chest wound, and his wife, who was with him, needed medical help after suffering shock.
Lithuania on Monday handed a protest note to Russia's embassy representative over strikes on Ukrainian cities in the past three days. The foreign ministry said an attack on Zaporizhzhia killed 23 civilians, including four children, damaged 29 residential buildings and wounded 32 more. President Gitanas Nauseda's adviser Asta Skaisgiryte said the kinetic threat in Lithuania is very real and can target not only top officials but also active political figures.
Parliament is due today to consider foreign ministry-backed amendments tightening property deals by Russian and Belarusian citizens, and related legal entities, near strategic sites. The draft would also bar entry to cultural, education, sports and arts figures who worked in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory or supported the Kremlin's war, with the changes due to take effect at the start of 2027.
In Warsaw, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi that a planned expansion of Belarus's Astravets nuclear plant would increase risks for Lithuania. He questioned the safety culture at Astravets and other Rosatom-built plants, while Lithuania wants the IAEA to stay engaged on nuclear risk management. Labour and Social Security Minister Inga Ruginiene will travel to Brussels tomorrow for the Tripartite Social Summit on growth, jobs and EU social policy coordination.
President Gitanas Nauseda said the first returning U.S. rotational troops had landed in Lithuania, marking the night's most significant security development. Lithuania also reaffirmed support for Ukraine in a call with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
sources: lrt.lt, tv3.lt, 15min.lt, vz.lt, delfi.lt, lrytas.lt
Worth knowing
Top stories
Crime
In front of his wife, the kickboxing vice-champion was shot dead; a relative spoke out
On Friday evening, October 10, 2026, Vincas Jašmontas, a former Lithuanian national kickboxing team member and 2016 European silver medallist, was shot dead in a courtyard on Savanorių Avenue in Vilnius. Police said the fatal clash involved three people and that the 1981-born man died at the scene from a chest wound. Tv3.lt reported that his wife, who may have been with him, was not injured but needed medical help after going into shock. Relatives said he had started a construction business, had a child and was trying to rebuild his life after prison and other setbacks. (zmones.15min.lt)
Why it matters
The killing has jolted Lithuania’s combat-sports community and raised fresh questions about armed disputes in public spaces in Vilnius. Prosecutors’ decision to use non-custodial measures for the suspect means the key issue now is what the investigation establishes next. (tv3.lt)
Who benefits
Only prosecutors and police gain procedural room to continue the case, while Jašmontas’s family and Lithuania’s kickboxing scene absorb the loss and the fallout. (tv3.lt)
What's next
The next key step is the Vilnius prosecutor’s decision on the formal charge and any final pre-trial restrictions after the suspect’s release from detention on October 13, 2026. (tv3.lt)
sources:tv3.lt
Politics
Lithuania lodges a stern protest to Russia over attacks on Ukrainian civilians
Lithuania on October 13 summoned the Russian embassy’s representative in Vilnius and handed over a formal protest note over strikes on Ukrainian cities on October 10-12. The foreign ministry said one attack on Zaporizhzhia on October 10 killed 23 civilians, including four children, and wounded 32 more. It also said the raids hit postal logistics hubs, energy assets, rail infrastructure and residential areas. Lithuania demanded that those responsible be held criminally accountable. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
Civilians in Zaporizhzhia and other Ukrainian cities are left with deaths, injuries and damaged infrastructure that disrupts heating, transport and communications. For allies, it adds legal and diplomatic pressure on Moscow over war-crimes accountability. (lrt.lt)
sources:15min.lt
Politics
Nausėda's adviser: kinetic threat in Lithuania is very real
President Gitanas Nausėda’s chief foreign policy adviser Asta Skaisgirytė said on October 13 that she could not say whether the president’s security detail had been reviewed after Poland reported a man detained over alleged death threats against Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on October 11. She said Lithuania’s own public security reports already flag hybrid risks, including kinetic threats, not only to top officials but also to active political figures. Her message was blunt: the threat is real and must be taken seriously. Poland’s interior ministry said it convened police, state protection and security service officials after the report came in. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The presidency, the VSD and the State Security Department are the layers that decide whether politicians, opposition figures and other public actors need tighter protection. If the threat level rises, it changes how they move, campaign and appear in public. (lrt.lt)
Energy
Budrys meets with the head of TATENA: planned Astravo nuclear power plant expansion will increase threats to Lithuania
In Warsaw on October 13, 2026, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys met IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and said the planned expansion of Belarus’s Astravets nuclear plant would raise risks for Lithuania. He questioned the safety culture at Astravets and at other Rosatom-built plants, while the talks also covered nuclear safety in Ukraine. Lithuania wants the IAEA to stay engaged on risk management and has kept pressure on Minsk over plans to expand the site.
Why it matters
The immediate exposure sits with residents in the Vilnius region and the nuclear safety agencies that would have to respond to any incident next door. For diplomats and regulators, the key question is whether the IAEA will increase pressure on Minsk and tighten international scrutiny.
Politics
Parliament proposes tightening real estate purchase and operation rules for Russians and Belarusians
On 2026-10-13, Lithuania's parliament is set to consider government-backed changes that would tighten property rules for Russians and Belarusians near strategic sites. Belarusian residents without a Lithuanian permit to live in the country would be barred from those purchases, while restrictions on Russians were introduced earlier. The draft would also block entry for people linked to cultural, educational, sports or artistic activity in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, or those seen as backing the Kremlin's war. If approved, the rules would take effect on 2027-01-01, with existing public contracts reviewed by 2027-02-28. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The draft would hit Belarusian residents without a Lithuanian permit who want to buy property near military or other strategic sites, and the businesses tied to those purchases. Organisers and public bodies would also have to check declarations and rewrite contracts by 2027-02-28. (lrt.lt)
Economy
Inga Ruginienė to Brussels: discuss economic growth and employment
Labour and Social Security Minister Inga Ruginienė will travel to Brussels on Oct. 14, 2026, for the Tripartite Social Summit on growth and jobs. The Council says EU leaders, the European Commission and social partners will meet in Brussels for the annual talks. The summit gives governments, employers and unions a rare top-level forum to push their priorities on competitiveness, hiring and pay. Ruginienė took office as Lithuania’s labour minister on July 15, 2026. (tv3.lt)
Why it matters
Lithuanian unions and employers have a stake because the Brussels talks can shape EU lines on jobs, wages and skills. That in turn affects the labour-market and social policy positions Lithuania will try to secure in next year’s EU agenda. (consilium.europa.eu)
sources:tv3.lt
Europe
Summary
Lviv and Rivne regions also came under Russian attack over the past day, with residential buildings damaged in Lviv region and a university building hit in Rivne. In Kyiv, a Russian drone struck a 25-storey apartment block in the Darnytskyi district on Sunday evening, killing two people and injuring nine. Russia later fired ballistic missiles at the capital, hitting transport and warehouse facilities.
Ukraine’s air force said on Monday that Russia may now be using about 200 jet-powered attack drones a day. Overnight, Moscow launched 108 drones, including 74 jet-powered models, along with five ballistic missiles and nine Banderol and Dan-T missile-drones. Ukrainian air defences shot down or suppressed 88 drones, but Kyiv says the faster systems are much harder to intercept. Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in late September that Ukraine was stopping only 55% of the jet-powered Shaheds, and he said today that partners had not warned Kyiv about the planned strike on the capital.
Russian forces also struck at least six Ukrainian energy sites over the past day, and the latest attacks have already disrupted electricity, water services and metro operations in Kyiv. In Sumy region, more than 40 strikes hit 30 settlements across 20 communities in the past 24 hours, and Viktor Trehubov said Russian forces were pressing in the Riasne direction and trying to widen their foothold near the border. In a BBC interview, Ukraine’s armed forces chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Europe must prepare for a possible war with Russia and said Russian forces captured 61 square kilometres in the first half of 2026.
France’s navy boarded the tanker DF Peak in the Indian Ocean on Sunday, about 450 nautical miles south of Reunion, and escorted it for further checks. Emmanuel Macron said the vessel was part of Russia’s shadow fleet, while Ukrainian military intelligence linked it to Russian crude shipments and Sovcomflot. In Britain, MI5 chief Ken McCallum warned that artificial intelligence could heighten the threat of biological weapons.
NATO began its annual nuclear exercise involving forces from 17 countries. At the same time, Ukrainian intelligence said new Kremlin war scenarios include one involving the Baltic states and six tied to Northern Europe.
sources: delfi.lt, lrt.lt, 15min.lt, vz.lt, tv3.lt, lrytas.lt
Worth knowing
Term
Shadow fleet
A shadow fleet is a network of ageing or obscurely owned tankers used to move oil outside sanctions and price-cap regimes. The ships often rely on opaque ownership, frequent flag changes and weak insurance arrangements.
Top stories
Politics
Ukraine: Russia used about 200 cruise drones in a day
Ukraine’s air force said on Oct. 13 that Russia may be firing about 200 jet-powered attack drones a day. Overnight into Oct. 13, Russia launched 108 drones, 74 of them jet-powered, plus five ballistic missiles and nine Banderol and Dan-T missile-drones. Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 88 drones, but Kyiv says the faster models are much harder to intercept. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in late September that Ukraine was stopping only 55% of the jet-powered Shaheds. (odessa-journal.com)
Why it matters
For Ukraine’s air defenses, the shift means more strain to protect power sites, housing blocks and transport nodes every night. Faster drones raise the odds that some strikes get through even when most of the cheaper, slower ones are intercepted. (odessa-journal.com)
Who benefits
Russia’s drone makers and military benefit from the lower-cost pressure campaign, while Ukraine’s power grid, rail system and city residents bear the losses. (odessa-journal.com)
What's next
The next thing to watch is whether Ukraine’s military command can lift interception rates for jet-powered drones above the current 55% level in mid-October. (president.gov.ua)
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Russia continues to strike Ukraine's energy sector despite calls for a ceasefire: ISW warns Kremlin plans
Russian forces hit at least six energy targets in Ukraine overnight on October 11-12, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, undercutting Donald Trump's claim of an energy ceasefire. The Kremlin has not confirmed any deal and only said contacts were ongoing. ISW says Moscow is keeping up pressure on Ukraine's power grid as winter approaches, betting it can do more damage before Kyiv can harden defences. The latest strikes have already disrupted electricity, water services and metro operations in Kyiv.
Why it matters
Ukrainian households pay the price in heating, water and transport outages, and the risk rises sharply as temperatures fall. The attacks also force Kyiv to divert money and repair crews into emergency grid protection instead of other war needs.
sources:tv3.lt
Politics
Two people were killed in a Russian drone attack on Kyiv
A Russian drone hit a 25-storey residential building in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district on Oct. 12, 2026, killing two people and injuring nine, Ukrainian officials said. The strike set several floors ablaze and forced evacuations from nearby apartments. Later the same day, Russia followed with ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, hitting transport and warehouse facilities. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renewed his call for tighter pressure on Moscow after the attack.
Why it matters
For Kyiv residents, the strike shows how quickly air attacks can turn apartment blocks into fire scenes and force emergency evacuations. City services now have to split resources between rescue work, fire suppression and damage checks across multiple hit sites.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Trehubovas: Russian forces attempt to advance deeper into Sumy region
On October 13, 2026, Viktor Trehubov said Russian forces were trying to push deeper in Sumy region, with the latest pressure centered on the Riasne direction. He said the region came under more than 40 strikes on 30 settlements across 20 communities in the 24 hours to the morning of October 13. Trehubov has also said Russian units still hold a narrow border strip and are trying to widen it. The immediate task for Ukrainian forces is to keep that line from turning into a deeper penetration toward Sumy city. (ukrinform.net)
Why it matters
For civilians in Sumy region, the practical effect is more shelling risk along the border belt and greater danger for villages and supply routes. If Russian units widen the strip they hold, Ukraine would have to tie down more troops in the north. (ukrinform.net)
Politics
Syrskis warned European countries: if you want to survive, you must be prepared
On October 13, in an interview aired by the BBC, Ukraine’s armed forces chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said European countries must prepare for a possible war with Russia. He also said Ukraine has stabilised the front and that Russian forces captured 61 square kilometres in the first half of 2026. Syrskyi argued that only enough weapons and allied capacity can stop Moscow’s advance. The comments land as Kyiv presses Europe to harden support before winter.
Why it matters
European governments face more pressure to buy air defences, ammunition and military training faster, especially along NATO’s eastern flank. For Ukraine, the key question is whether allies keep support flowing at speed through the winter campaign.
sources:15min.lt
Politics
French Navy in Indian Ocean boards Russian shadow fleet tanker
On October 12, 2026, the French navy boarded the tanker DF Peak about 450 nautical miles south of Réunion and escorted it for further checks. President Emmanuel Macron said the ship was part of Russia’s shadow fleet, while Ukraine’s military intelligence said it carried Russian crude and was linked to Sovcomflot. French armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin said the operation was being handled under the authority of the prefect of Réunion. The move extends Paris’ drive to squeeze tankers helping Moscow move oil around Western sanctions. (euronews.com)
Why it matters
The boarding matters because shadow-fleet tankers are a key way for Russia to move crude despite sanctions. Any prolonged detention or inspection raises costs and delays for shipowners, insurers and traders moving Russian oil through the Indian Ocean. (euronews.com)
sources:lrt.lt
World
Summary
Masai Russell capped a historic 2026 season by winning 14 straight 100m hurdles races and lowering the world record to 12.09 seconds in Zurich. In the 18-year history of the Diamond League, no athlete had ever improved a record at every meet in a single season, and Russell finished her run by taking the inaugural Ultimate title.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti warned on Monday that the Houthis would mount a “painful” response if the United States joins the Yemen war. The threat followed fresh missile and drone strikes on Riyadh airport, and an earlier attack on the Saudi capital killed at least 13 people. Donald Trump said he was weighing whether Washington should join Saudi strikes on the Iran-backed group. Several Iranian officials also floated a ground incursion into a neighbouring state if the U.S. resumes military action.
Former U.S. defense secretary Robert Gates said Vladimir Putin still believes he can outlast Western backing for Ukraine. In Washington, six senators from both parties urged the Trump administration to scrap its plan to buy Russian diesel, saying it clashes with a 2022 ban on Russian energy imports. Trump defended the deal as a way to cut U.S. fuel costs, but the White House has not clarified the size of the diesel flow or how the plan would comply with sanctions law.
House Speaker Mike Johnson questioned plans to broadcast Nidal Hasan’s execution live from Fort Hood, Texas. Australia is also seeking to block the broadcast, and Johnson said footage of the execution could become a recruitment tool for future terrorists.
The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer. A U.S. court sentenced Duane 'Keffe D' Davis to 40 years in prison for organizing Tupac Shakur's murder.
sources: 15min.lt, lrt.lt, delfi.lt, vz.lt, lrytas.lt
Worth knowing
Term
Diamond League
The Diamond League is track and field’s top annual one-day meeting circuit, bringing together elite events across multiple cities. Athletes compete through the season for points and for titles at the series final.
Top stories
Sports
Athletics world has never seen this: Russell opens a new page of records
Masai Russell produced the defining sprint-hurdles season of 2026. The 26-year-old American won 14 races in a row and set the world 100m hurdles record at 12.09 seconds in Zurich on Aug. 27. LRT says no athlete in the 18-year history of the Diamond League had ever improved a record at every meet in a single season. Russell opened the run in Shanghai in mid-May and closed the year by winning the inaugural Ultimate title. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
Women’s 100m hurdles has become one of the sport’s marquee events this season. Russell’s run resets the benchmark for her rivals and raises the standard for the next wave of American and African hurdlers chasing sub-12.10 times. (lrt.lt)
Who benefits
Masai Russell and the U.S. team gain, while Tobi Amusan and other elite hurdlers lose ground against a new benchmark. (lrt.lt)
What's next
The next key test is the 2027 world championships in Beijing, where Russell will try to defend her edge and threaten 12.09 again. (lrt.lt)
sources:lrt.lt
Politics
Houthi official threatens painful response if the US becomes involved in Yemen war
On Oct. 13, Houthi political bureau member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti warned the United States would face a painful response if it joins the war in Yemen. The threat came after another strike hit Riyadh airport and killed at least 13 people in the deadliest attack in the Gulf state since the current escalation began. President Donald Trump said he was weighing whether to join Saudi strikes against the Iran-backed group. The Houthis say the attacks are meant to pressure Riyadh to stop its campaign in Yemen. (thenews.pk)
Why it matters
Civilian aviation and shipping across the Red Sea and the Gulf face greater risk if the US moves from backing Saudi Arabia to direct involvement. That would widen the conflict from a Saudi-Houthi war into a broader US-Iran proxy confrontation. (apnews.com)
sources:15min.lt
Politics
Former US secretary of defense: Putin still believes he can wear down the West
Former US defense secretary Robert Gates warned on Oct. 12-13 that Putin still believes he can outlast the West in the war over Ukraine. The warning lands as Trump's deal to buy Russian diesel has angered lawmakers in Washington and rattled allies in Europe. Putin said on Oct. 1 that Russia does not plan to attack Europe, but would use all available weapons if its territory were hit. Recent Kremlin messaging has leaned hard on the idea that Western support for Kyiv is fraying. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
The key question for Ukraine and its European backers is whether Washington keeps sanctions pressure and military aid aligned. Any split in signals gives Moscow more room to bet that political fatigue will erode support for Kyiv. (apnews.com)
sources:vz.lt
Politics
Iran talks of ultimatum to the US: strikes would lead to invasion of a neighboring country
Several Iranian officials are now floating the idea of a ground incursion into a neighbouring state if the U.S. resumes military action, 15min reported on Oct. 13, citing a fresh report. The message is meant to raise the cost of any renewed U.S. strike. It also reflects the deadlock Tehran says it faces on diplomatic, economic and political fronts. If Washington attacks, the risk is that the conflict spills into nearby states rather than staying a bilateral U.S.-Iran showdown. (15min.lt)
Why it matters
Gulf states face a higher risk that their territory becomes part of any retaliation cycle if U.S.-Iran tensions tip into open conflict again. The threat also hangs over oil flows and regional shipping routes. (15min.lt)
sources:15min.lt
Politics
Johnson says live execution broadcast could become a terrorist recruitment tool
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Oct. 13 questioned plans to broadcast the execution of Nidal Hasan live from Fort Hood, Texas, in an interview with CBS News. Hasan killed 13 people at the base in 2009, and a firing-squad execution is scheduled for Dec. 3. Johnson said the footage could become a recruiting tool for future terrorists. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has backed a public broadcast, while President Donald Trump says the final call has not been made.
Why it matters
The dispute pits the Pentagon and Congress against each other over how public a military execution should be. The outcome will decide whether the footage is shown as a statement of force or withheld over fears it could aid extremist propaganda.
sources:lrt.lt
Politics
All roads lead to Putin: stinging remarks against Trump over the scandalous agreement
Six senators from both parties on Monday urged the Trump administration to reverse course on its plan to buy Russian diesel, saying it conflicts with a 2022 congressional ban on Russian energy imports. Trump defended the deal the same day, arguing it would ease fuel costs in the U.S. Critics say it risks channeling money into Moscow's war machine and weakens Washington's position on Ukraine. The size and timing of the diesel flow remain unclear, leaving the White House under pressure to spell out how it will square the deal with sanctions law. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
Ukraine and its allies face a weaker sanctions signal if Moscow is allowed to turn energy sales into fresh revenue. U.S. motorists and trucking companies may hope for lower fuel bills, but senators now have to defend the sanctions regime against a White House that is challenging it. (apnews.com)
sources:delfi.lt