Term
Central Electoral Commission of Lithuania
Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission runs elections and referendums and oversees party and campaign finance. It can identify funding breaches and apply sanctions set out in law.
22 October 2026
Archived edition
Lithuania
Summary
Vilnius Regional Court is due to rule today in the case of Igoris Moskaliovas over the fatal shooting of an attorney, the wounding of two police officers and illegal firearm possession. The court must decide whether to impose a prison sentence or order compulsory medical treatment over the 2024 attack on Vasario 16-osios Street in central Vilnius.
A court is also beginning to handle the case of former priest Tadas Švedavičius, who is accused of crimes against children. Lithuania’s electoral commission said today that Lithuania - All leader Aleksandras Nemunaitis transferred 10,000 euros from party funds into his personal account in five instalments last year. The commission said the money was returned only after auditors raised questions and that the party’s statements contained false data, amounting to a serious breach of party financing law.
Lithuanian border guards turned back 31 irregular migrants on the Belarus frontier in the past 24 hours. The State Border Guard Service said two groups used ladders to cross the physical barrier in the Šalčininkai and Vilnius districts, 16 people were intercepted and another 15 fled back into Belarus.
The Finance Ministry said yesterday that state budget revenue excluding EU funds reached 17.314 billion euros in January-September, up 8.4% from a year earlier. An LRT analysis published yesterday said money released from Lithuania’s second pension pillar, as in Estonia, first tends to remain in bank accounts rather than flow straight into spending, while Lithuania’s draft 2027 budget sets aside 142 million euros for benefit indexation, including a rise in child benefit from 205.7 euros to 216.8 euros. In Kaunas, residents reported a flash, an explosion-like bang and brief power cuts late on Wednesday and into early Thursday, but police found no suspicious objects on F. Kiršos Street. The Lithuanian army said two Black Hawk helicopters were flying planned night sorties over the Rokai and Kazlų Rūda training areas and that the noise may have overlapped with two smuggling balloons hitting power lines in Kėdainiai and Kaišiadorys districts.
sources: 15min.lt, tv3.lt, lrt.lt, vz.lt, delfi.lt, lrytas.lt
Worth knowing
Top stories
Society
Uneasy night in Kaunas: unconfirmed reports of an explosion, helicopters circling
Late on Wednesday and into early Thursday, residents in Kaunas and the surrounding district reported a flash, an explosion-like bang and brief power cuts. Police got a call at 9.59 p.m. about a possible blast on F. Kiršos Street, but found no suspicious objects there or nearby. The Lithuanian army said two Black Hawk helicopters were flying planned night sorties from 9.10 p.m. on Oct. 21 to 12.50 a.m. on Oct. 22 over the Rokai and Kazlų Rūda training areas. It also said the noise may have overlapped with two separate incidents in which smuggling balloons hit power lines in Kėdainiai and Kaišiadorys districts.
Why it matters
For residents in Kaunas and nearby districts, the key issue is that one noisy night ended up triggering checks by police, firefighters and the military over several separate incidents. That means any loud event in the region can quickly unsettle people and pull multiple emergency services into the same response.
Who benefits
Residents gain clarity from the police and military explanation, while smuggling networks and power infrastructure take the hit from the balloon incidents.
What's next
The next concrete step is the police and military review of whether the Oct. 21 evening reports were linked to the balloon incidents in Kėdainiai and Kaišiadorys districts.
sources:15min.lt
Politics
Migrants on the Belarusian side built ladders, crossed a physical barrier, and entered Lithuania – all caught
Lithuanian border guards turned back 31 irregular migrant on the Belarus frontier in the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service said on October 22, 2026. Two groups crossed the physical barrier with ladders in the Šalčininkai and Vilnius districts, then tried to break into smaller teams and disappear into nearby woodland, but officers intercepted them. Sixteen people were stopped in one group, all without documents, including 9 Iranians, 5 Afghans and 2 Pakistanis. Another 15 fled back into Belarus before they could be detained, and all the intercepted migrants were sent back with humanitarian packs. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The episode shows that the Belarus border still depends on rapid response units and on-the-spot screening. Each such attempt puts extra pressure on the Šalčininkai and Vilnius district posts, because officers have to stop people before they disappear into the border forests. (lrt.lt)
Crime
Court to announce verdict in the case of Igoris Moskaliovas who shot an attorney and wounded police
The Vilnius Regional Court will announce its decision on October 22, 2026 in the case of Igor Moskaliov, who shot dead an attorney and wounded two police officers in central Vilnius on October 10, 2024. The case stems from an eviction attempt at an apartment on Vasario 16-osios Street, where officers and a bailiff’s assistant had arrived to enforce a court order. Prosecutors have brought charges over the murder of a public officer, attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Today’s ruling will show whether the court imposes a prison sentence or orders compulsory medical treatment.
Why it matters
The ruling will determine whether the case ends as a straightforward criminal punishment for lethal violence against state officials or as a compulsory treatment matter shaped by psychiatric findings. It matters to the police and the justice system because it will set the legal line on armed resistance during the enforcement of a court order.
Economy
Payments to thousands of residents: will you get extra money even if you did not lose a euro?
An LRT analysis published yesterday says Lithuania and Estonia saw the same pattern: money released from the second pension pillar first sat in bank accounts, not in shops. Estonia paid out most of the funds in September 2021, and it did not trigger a fresh property boom. In Lithuania's draft 2027 budget, the government has set aside 142 million euros for benefit indexation, including a rise in child benefit from 205.7 euros to 216.8 euros.
Why it matters
People who cash out second-pillar savings get a quick liquidity boost, but the money often changes savings patterns more than it lifts day-to-day spending. Higher indexed benefits will also reach families with children, low-income households and pupils eligible for support.
sources:tv3.lt
Crime
VRK: Nemunaitis illegally transferred to himself a portion of the party Lithuania – All funds
Lithuania’s electoral commission on October 22, 2026 said Aleksandras Nemunaitis, the leader of the party Lithuania - All, transferred 10,000 euros from party funds into his personal account in five instalments during 2025. The commission said the money came from roughly 14,000 euros in personal income tax support and was only returned after auditors questioned the transfers. VRK also found the party’s financial statements contained false and misleading data, amounting to a serious breach of party financing law. Nemunaitis can appeal the decision to the Supreme Administrative Court within 14 days. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
For parties, the case raises the cost of sloppy bookkeeping and increases scrutiny over how tax-based support is handled. It could push all political groups to tighten controls on membership fees, advances and donations. (lrt.lt)
Economy
Budget revenues increased over nine months
Lithuania’s Finance Ministry said on Thursday that state budget revenue, excluding EU funds, reached 17.314 billion euros in January-September 2026, up 8.4% from a year earlier. The ministry’s table shows execution of 74.7% against plan after nine months, versus 12.938 billion euros collected in the same period of 2025. The final 2026 outcome now depends on tax intake in the last quarter. The ministry publishes the figures as part of its regular budget execution update.
Why it matters
Higher revenue gives the government more room to finance spending, but it also shows how dependent year-end plans are on collections in the final quarter. That affects ministry budgets, municipal cash flow and how much the state may need to borrow.
sources:delfi.lt
Europe
Summary
Kyiv was hit overnight by Russian ballistic missiles and drones, with 22 people wounded across six districts of the capital. A medical facility in the Pechersk district was damaged, a restaurant caught fire, and apartment blocks, energy sites and metro infrastructure were also hit.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 808 Ukrainian drones overnight. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 630 were aimed at the capital and surrounding region, and another 22 drones heading for Moscow were downed today. After several nights of drone threats, Moscow airports imposed flight restrictions and diverted some planes to other Russian cities.
Ukraine's General Staff said yesterday that Russian forces lost about 1,820 personnel in the previous 24 hours. Kyiv's estimate puts total Russian losses since the February 2022 invasion at roughly 1,570,540 personnel, with 11 tanks, 16 armoured vehicles and 44 artillery systems destroyed over the same day. Hours after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg yesterday, Russian strikes in Ukraine killed seven people and wounded at least 15.
The New York Times reported that Starshield speed limits helped cause about $1 million in Ukrainian weapons losses. Field commander Andriy Biletsky said the cap hit interceptor drones especially hard and left some systems effectively unusable for strike and resupply missions. Brussels banned electric scooter use in areas linked to drug trafficking, while in France listings for goods stolen during recent unrest appeared on the resale platform Vinted.
sources: delfi.lt, 15min.lt, lrt.lt, lrytas.lt, vz.lt, tv3.lt
Worth knowing
Term
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is launched by rocket power and then follows a largely ballistic flight path. Its high speed makes it harder to intercept than most drones.
Top stories
Politics
Ukraine: Russia loses record number of soldiers last day
Ukraine’s General Staff said on Oct. 21 that Russian forces lost about 1,820 personnel over the previous 24 hours, taking total estimated losses since the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion to roughly 1,570,540. The same report listed 11 tanks, 16 armored vehicles and 44 artillery systems destroyed in the day. A day earlier, Kyiv had put daily personnel losses at 1,560 and drone losses at 1,578, underscoring how heavy the attrition remains. Ukraine’s personnel tally includes both killed and wounded.
Why it matters
The figures matter because they point to the strain on Russian manpower and the cost of sustaining offensive operations. Heavy daily losses also raise pressure on Moscow’s mobilization system and on its equipment stocks.
Who benefits
Ukraine’s defenders and their Western backers gain leverage, while Russia’s ground forces, manpower pipeline and artillery units bear the losses.
What's next
The next checkpoint is the Ukrainian General Staff’s morning update on Oct. 22, which will show whether daily losses stay at the same elevated level.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
Defense Ministry: Russia shot down 808 Ukrainian drones last night
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Oct. 22 that its air defences shot down 808 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 630 aimed at Moscow and the surrounding region, according to the capital's mayor. At the same time, Kyiv came under ballistic missile fire, with Ukrainian officials reporting deaths and injuries and damage to apartment blocks, energy sites and metro infrastructure. Moscow's airports briefly restricted flights overnight, underscoring the scale of the exchange as Washington pushed fresh mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine.
Why it matters
For residents around Moscow, the immediate effect is flight disruption and air-defence alarms. For Ukrainian civilians, the strikes add fresh pressure on power, heating and transport networks ahead of winter.
sources:15min.lt
Politics
Moscow mayor: 630 drones launched into Moscow region overnight
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Oct. 22 that another 22 drones headed toward the capital were shot down overnight. The claim came after several nights in which drone threats forced restrictions at Moscow airports and sent flights scrambling to other Russian cities. The scale of the attacks shows Kyiv is still pressing Moscow’s transport network and air defences deep inside Russia.
Why it matters
Passengers and airlines face delays, diversions and longer ground times when drone threats trigger airspace restrictions around Moscow. Russia’s domestic transport network then absorbs the shock, with regional airports taking diverted flights and extra operational pressure.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
War in Ukraine. Russia launches massive ballistic missile attack on Kyiv: hospital and metro damaged
Russia fired several ballistic missiles and attack drones at Kyiv overnight on Oct. 22, 2026. A medical facility building in the Pechersk district was damaged, while city officials also reported hits on housing areas and transport infrastructure. A restaurant building caught fire in the assault. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said six people were injured, four of them hospitalized.
Why it matters
Kyiv hospitals face disrupted operations and extra pressure on staff, while commuters risk delays and route changes if transport links are checked or repaired. Strikes on a medical facility and metro infrastructure directly affect civilians’ access to care and mobility.
Politics
"Drones fell from the sky" due to Starshield restrictions causing Ukrainian losses
On Oct. 21, 15min cited a New York Times report saying Starshield speed limits helped trigger about $1 million in Ukrainian weapons losses. Andriy Biletsky, a Ukrainian field commander, said the cap hit interceptor drones especially hard because they need to outmaneuver faster Russian jet-powered drones. The report said some drones became effectively unusable for strike and resupply missions after the connection was slowed. Lrytas also reported on Oct. 21 that the restriction affected Ukraine’s connection speeds and hit a system used to control drones and strike occupied territory.
Why it matters
Ukraine’s air defense and front-line logistics are exposed to a communications system that can be throttled by one supplier. That makes interceptor drones less effective and gives Russian strike drones more room to get through while resupply missions become harder to run.
sources:lrytas.lt
Politics
Seven people killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine after meeting between US envoy and Putin
Russian and Ukrainian forces traded overnight strikes, killing seven people and wounding at least 15 in Ukraine hours after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Oct. 21. Kyiv was hit in the early hours, with missiles striking residential areas and energy sites, while a Russian strike in Kharkiv region killed one woman and wounded four others. Putin discussed new ideas for ending the war with the US envoy, and Washington struck an upbeat note, saying the sides were maybe closer than before to a deal. The attacks show the diplomacy has not yet slowed the battlefield tempo. (nampa.org)
Why it matters
For Kyiv residents and Ukraine’s energy system, the strikes mean fresh damage ahead of winter, when hits on power and heat infrastructure directly affect civilians. For European allies, the timing shows that diplomacy and battlefield escalation are moving together, raising the cost of any ceasefire effort. (nampa.org)
sources:15min.lt
World
Summary
Meta was ordered on Wednesday to pay $25 billion after a New Mexico court found it had misled Facebook users about data privacy. The case grew out of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which data from millions of users was harvested through a third-party app for political targeting. Meta said it would appeal, and interest on the award will continue to accrue while the case moves through the courts.
In Saudi Arabia, the U.S. State Department ordered some embassy staff in Riyadh and their families to leave after intensified Houthi strikes on airports and oil facilities. Washington also tightened movement rules for U.S. diplomats inside the kingdom, and an attack on a Saudi airport over the past day killed two people and wounded eight. Israeli media reported that Hamas used a meeting between UN envoy Ramiz Alakbarov and a COGAT representative to threaten a repeat of the October 7, 2023 attack. Israeli political leaders and security officials were briefed immediately.
In Oslo, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that the first step toward talks with Moscow could be freezing the front along current lines. The same day, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg to discuss possible new proposals to end the war, and Zelenskiy said any progress now depends on whether Russia brings new peace ideas to Washington. The latest Russian strikes on Ukraine killed at least four people, while other reports from the same period put the death toll at seven. Separately, 23 U.S. House members urged Donald Trump to press Elon Musk to restore Ukraine’s ability to use Starlink inside Russia to hit missile launch sites.
sources: lrt.lt, 15min.lt, vz.lt, tv3.lt, delfi.lt
Worth knowing
Term
Cambridge Analytica
Cambridge Analytica was a political consulting firm that became central to a global scandal after obtaining data from millions of Facebook users for voter profiling. The episode became a landmark case in the debate over platform privacy and political microtargeting.
Top stories
Economy
Meta fined a record $25 billion for lying about user data privacy
A New Mexico judge on October 21 ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found the company had misled users about privacy on Facebook. The case stems from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, when data from millions of Facebook users was harvested through a third-party app and used for political targeting. Meta said it will appeal, and interest will keep accruing while the case moves through the courts. New Mexico’s attorney general called it one of the biggest state judgments ever imposed on a company in the U.S. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
For Facebook users, the ruling turns a long-running privacy fight into a multibillion-dollar liability that could still grow as interest accrues. For state attorneys general, it strengthens the case for using consumer-protection law to punish how big platforms collect and share personal data. (investing.com)
Who benefits
New Mexico and its consumer-protection authorities gain leverage, while Meta shareholders and the company’s legal team take the hit. (nmdoj.gov)
What's next
Meta is preparing an appeal, and a higher court will decide whether the $25 billion judgment stands and how many violations remain in the final tally. (apnews.com)
sources:vz.lt
Politics
Media: Hamas threatens Israel to repeat October 7 attack
Hamas on Wednesday relayed a threat to repeat the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, according to Israeli media reports carried by LRT on Oct. 22. The warning was passed during a meeting between UN Middle East envoy Ramiz Alakbarov and a COGAT representative, and Reuters-style context from the report links it to Israel's continued control of more than half of Gaza and planned Palestinian elections that were later scrapped. Israeli political leaders and security officials were briefed immediately. The open question is whether Hamas still has the operational capacity to carry out the kind of strike it threatened.
Why it matters
Civilians in Gaza and Israeli border communities face another round of escalation risk, which could further disrupt aid delivery and security conditions on the ground. The collapse of the planned Palestinian vote also leaves the political vacuum unresolved.
sources:lrt.lt
Politics
After talks with Putin – bloody strike: Zelenskiy warns about Russia's actions
On October 21 in Oslo, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the first step toward talks with Moscow could be freezing the front along current lines. The same day, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg to discuss possible new proposals to end the war. Zelenskiy said any progress now depends on whether Russia brings new peace ideas to Washington rather than more war. LRT also reported that four people were killed in the latest Russian strikes on Ukraine. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
Ukrainian civilians are still paying the price, with fresh strikes killing four people even as diplomacy inches forward. Any breakthrough now hinges on whether the U.S. can push Moscow toward a ceasefire framework rather than another round of delay. (lrt.lt)
sources:tv3.lt
Politics
23 US Congress members sharply addressed Trump: The Hill published letter details
Twenty-three House members wrote to President Donald Trump on Oct. 21 and asked him to urge Elon Musk to restore Ukraine’s ability to use Starlink inside Russia to hit missile launch sites, The Hill reported. The bipartisan letter argued that Ukraine cannot reliably defend itself if it cannot strike the launchers firing at its cities. The appeal comes after reports that Starlink and Starshield access was unexpectedly restricted in Ukraine on Oct. 14. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are now pressing for answers on who ordered the slowdown and whether Washington still backs Ukraine’s battlefield communications. (15min.lt)
Why it matters
For Ukraine’s military, a tighter Starlink feed means weaker drone coordination and less ability to intercept Russian attacks. The pressure on Trump also tests how far Washington is willing to go in backing Ukraine’s battlefield communications. (config-exception.rferl.mobi)
sources:15min.lt
Politics
US Embassy staff and families told to leave Saudi Arabia
The State Department ordered some U.S. embassy staff and family members out of Saudi Arabia on Oct. 21, 2026. The move comes as Houthi strikes on Saudi targets have intensified, including attacks on airports and energy infrastructure. Washington has also tightened travel and operating rules for its personnel inside the kingdom. Officials said the order applies only to non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families in Saudi Arabia.
Why it matters
The drawdown makes it harder for the U.S. to maintain normal consular and security operations in the Gulf’s biggest economy. It also raises the risk of further travel disruption for airlines, energy companies and foreign workers in the kingdom.