Vilnius, May 21 (ELTA) – MP Vilija Targamadzė has announced that she is leaving the party Democrats For Lithuania and its political group in the Seimas. She became an MP at the end of April by replacing Giedrimas Jeglinskas who had resigned from parliament. It is unclear if she is going to join another political group or become a non-attached MP.

MP Targamadzė has confirmed to the news agency ELTA that she was leaving Democrats For Lithuania.

The politician says this is because she was promised a place at the Seimas Committee on Education and Science but the party has not fulfilled the promise, whereas she does not imagine herself working in any other committee.

The lawmaker says she is yet to decide whether to become a non-attached MP or to join another political group. According to the MP, she could do more for the education sector if she joined the ruling coalition.

Meanwhile, acting leader of Democrats For Lithuania, Virginijus Sinkevičius, stressed that this is a lesson to look for election candidates within the party.

“Mrs Targamadzė decided to leave without informing the political group, just the media. […] For me personally this seems a very odd thing to do,” said MEP Sinkevičius.

“I have always maintained that we must invest in people from our party, to raise them as future leaders instead of looking or waiting for ‘stars’ that would come and save someone,” said the MEP.

According to him, Targamadzė had made the ultimatum demanding a seat at the Committee on Education and Science or she would leave the party.

He claims that the MP had likely made a deal with Social Democratic Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas regarding the move.

In 2020, Targamadzė was elected to the Seimas with the Social Democratic Party.

Vilnius, May 21 (ELTA) – Latvia issued an air alert due to a drone on Thursday but there is no direct threat for Lithuania, says Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė.

“I would ask everyone to remain calm, follow only the official information and the instructions of responsible institutions. If the situation changes, the public will be informed at once,” Ruginienė stated on social network Facebook on Thursday.

According to the prime minister, the Armed Forces and other bodies constantly monitor the situation and keep in close touch with the allies.

Earlier, Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas stated that there was no threat for Lithuania as the object detected in the Latvian airspace was not moving towards Lithuania.

He added that NATO jets were scrambled from Šiauliai, Lithuania, over the situation in Latvia.

Latvia issued an air alert at 10:45 a.m. Thursday, which is in effect in Krāslava, Rēzekne, Ludza, and Augšdaugava municipalities in the eastern part of the country.

A day earlier, an air alert was declared in Lithuania after a drone entered the country’s airspace at 9:40 a.m. and later disappeared from radars at 11:09 a.m.

A search for the drone continues as it is thought that it might have creased in southern Lithuania.

Minister Kaunas announced that Ukrainian experts who have vast experience in the area would visit Lithuania in June amid increasing incidents with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Vilnius, May 21 (ELTA) – Although more passengers were transported by rail last year, yet freight by rail decreased in 2025 compared with 2024.

Data published by the Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) show that 5.9 million passengers were transported by rail in 2025, an increase of 6.2% compared with 2024.

Most of the passengers, or 77%, were transported on local routes. Revenue from passenger transport increased by 12.8% to EUR 107.8 million.

According to the RRT, passenger transport increased mostly due to international routes, including the new Vilnius–Riga–Tallinn route launched last year, and due to transit routes through Lithuania.

Meanwhile, revenue from freight decreased by 2% to EUR 263.6 million.

The volume of transported cargo decreased by 4.7% over the year, to 24.4 million tonnes, while total freight transport volumes fell by 7.1% to 5.8 billion net ton‑kilometres.

International freight volumes declined by 19.3%, while transit freight dropped by 24.4%.

Intermodal freight decreased by 70.8% over the year.

At the end of last year, seven operators were active in the railway transport market — one passenger carrier and six freight carriers.

Vilnius, May 21 (ELTA) – On Thursday, the military continues searching for a drone in southern Lithuania that might have crashed after crossing the country’s airspace a day earlier. An air alert was issued on Wednesday morning after radars detected a flying object similar to a drone.

“The search had to be suspended yesterday at dusk. Unfortunately, we did not find [the drone]. Therefore, additional capabilities are involved today. The weather, I see, does not seem bad – clouds are not too low. A helicopter will be involved, [and] as yesterday, up to 100 soldiers, both from the Land Force and the Military Police,” Chief of Defence General Raimundas Vaikšnoras told public radio LRT on Thursday.

He said that witnesses would be interviewed if they had seen the drone and asked people to share videos if they had filmed it as this would help locate the crash site sooner.

On Wednesday it was reported that information about the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying towards Lithuania was received from Belarus. However, the chief of defence denied this on Thursday and said that Lithuania was the first to contact Belarus on a hotline, but the Belarusian side initially denied the information.

“When some activity was taking place on Belarusian territory – which we observed and so did Latvia, and I believe also our NATO allies –unclear activity when some objects were circling around, […] our on-duty officer at the Air Force made the call first. Of course, they [Belarusians] initially denied as always. However, when there was likely no other choice, they called back and confirmed that there was a threat, a risk that [the drone] could enter our territory,” said the general.

As reported, a flying object was detected on radars close to the Lithuanian border on Wednesday. NATO jets were scrambled, airspace over Vilnius Airport was temporarily closed and train services were suspended in Vilnius county.

According to the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC), the UAV entered Lithuanian airspace at around 9:40 a.m.

An air alert was declared in Ignalina, Utena, Švenčionys and Zarasai districts.

Residents of Vilnius county received emergency messages on their phones at 10:26 a.m. urging them to head to air raid shelters.

The air alert was lifted at 10:51 a.m. in Vilnius.

The NKVC stated that the drone disappeared from radars at around 11:09 a.m. near Merkinė, southern Lithuania.

The search for the drone is ongoing in Varėna district, where it might have crashed.

Vilnius, May 21 (ELTA) – KN Energies, an international energy terminal operator, has announced the unaudited consolidated and separate financial results for the first quarter of 2026.

Revenue of KN Energies Group totalled EUR 29.8 million in Q1 2026, compared with EUR 25.3 million in Q1 2025.

The group’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) stood at EUR 16.2 million, compared with EUR 13.6 million a year ago.

The group’s net profit in Q1 2026 was EUR 7.3 million, compared with EUR 4.4 million in Q1 2025.

Revenue from liquid energy terminals for Q1 2026 amounted to EUR 7.8 million and was lower by 1% compared to the same period in 2025 (EUR 7.9 million). The decrease in revenue was driven by 7% fall in handling volumes, KN Energies management stated in a comment.

Revenue from the regulated LNG business segment amounted to EUR 18.7 million in the first quarter of 2026, which increased by 37% compared to the same period in 2025 (EUR 15.0 million). The terminal’s regasification and reloading volumes reached 11.4 TWh, which was 2.7 TWh higher than in the same period in 2025 (8.7 TWh).

Revenue from commercial LNG activities in Q1 2026 amounted to EUR 3.3 million and was higher than in the same period of 2025 (EUR 2.4 million). This growth in revenue was driven by LNG projects abroad, activities in Brazil and Germany, and the development of the Klaipėda LNG value chain.

Vilnius, May 21 (ELTA) – On Thursday, President Gitanas Nausėda extended congratulations to President Jakov Milatović of Montenegro and all the people of this country on the 20th anniversary of Montenegro’s independence, reports the presidency.

Gitanas Nausėda welcomed the excellent bilateral relations between Lithuania and Montenegro, and the country’s significant progress on the path towards European Union membership.

“Lithuania values Montenegro’s advancement and encourages it to continue reforms. The upcoming EU–Western Balkans Summit in Montenegro will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to enlargement and the commitment of aspiring countries to reforms,” the president’s message of congratulations reads.

According to President Gitanas Nausėda, as staunch NATO allies, Lithuania and Montenegro are united by a shared understanding of today’s challenges. This, he wrote, is vital for maintaining international order and safeguarding the ideals that matter to us.

“European security is incomplete without Ukraine’s full participation in the Euro-Atlantic architecture. I firmly believe that, as Ukraine fights not only for its own values but also for those of the entire democratic world, we will continue to support it in this struggle,” the head of state underlined in his message.

On national day, Gitanas Nausėda wished the president of Montenegro and all Montenegrins well-being and success in continuing to build their country’s future.

Vilnius, May 21 (ELTA) – On Wednesday morning, 20 May, an air alert was declared in Vilnius county and several districts in eastern Lithuania after a suspected drone entered the country’s airspace. In Vilnius, people received emergency messages on their phones with instructions to head to air raid shelters. President Gitanas Nausėda says the incident was a good lesson that did not result in serious consequences.

“I believe that, first of all, what we experienced today is a very good lesson that did not cost us any painful consequences, because nothing happened that we would have to regret. However, we received this lesson and we must learn it very well,” President Nausėda said in an interview to public television LRT on Wednesday night.

According to the head of state, there is no need for panic or bravado as this would be irresponsible. He says authorities reacted to the incident appropriately and according to plans.

However, the president noted that not all kindergartens and schools reacted the way they should have to the air alert. For instance, some kindergartens should not have called parents urging them to take their children as doing so is unsafe due to a drone threat, said the president.

Moreover, he pointed out that some air raid shelters were inaccessible as their doors were locked.

Nausėda says people should react responsibly to emergency alerts that are issued and deficiencies in the warning system that became clear on Wednesday must be eliminated.

According to the head of state, it cannot be ruled out that more drones that are spoofed and go off course could reach Lithuania and other neighbouring countries as long as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.

Speaking about the capabilities to detect flying objects, the president said that additional radars should have been operational long ago rather than some time in the future, even if it they are integrated in the detection system soon.

Asked what would happen if Russia decided to launch dozens of drones at Lithuania, President Nausėda said this would be an attack on NATO and Article 5 on collective defence would be invoked, whereas Lithuania would defend itself together with NATO partners.

Nausėda also reiterated that unmanned aerial vehicles meant to target other countries cannot use Lithuanian airspace and he denied Russia’s claims that Ukraine uses the airspace of the Baltic States to attack targets in Russia.

“Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Finland are not participating in any operations. It seems to me that all of them have made this quite clear, and we certainly will not let ourselves be provoked or intimidated by Russia,” said Nausėda.

As reported, air alerts were issued in eastern parts of Lithuania after a suspected drone entered the country’s airspace on Wednesday morning. In Vilnius county, residents received emergency messages on their smartphones to head to air raid shelters.

NATO air policing jets had been scrambled, while airspace over Vilnius Airport was temporarily closed and train services in Vilnius county suspended.

Search operations have been underway for a possible drone crash site in Varėna district, the military and authorities said on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC), the drone crossed the Lithuanian border at around 9:40 a.m. and disappeared from radar near Merkinė, in southern Lithuania, at around 11:09 a.m.

Vilnius, May 21 (ELTA) – Irregular migrants did not attempt to access Lithuania from Belarus on Wednesday, 20 May, reports the State Border Guard Service (VSAT).

According to the VSAT, migrants have not been detected at Lithuania’s border with Belarus for 13 days in a row.

Meanwhile, border officers in Latvia stopped 105 migrants from entering the country’s territory from Belarus on Wednesday.

Polish border guards did not turn back any migrants at the border with Belarus on Tuesday.

So far this year, the VSAT has prevented 724 irregular migrants from crossing the state border from Belarus to Lithuania. The figure stood at 1,652 at the end of 2025.

Since the start of the migrant crisis orchestrated by Belarus in August 2021, Lithuania has thwarted a total of 25,348 illegal border crossing attempts.

Vilnius, May 21 (ELTA) – On Wednesday, the leadership of the Ministry of Transport and the LTG Group presented short-term and long-term measures to improve railway traffic safety to the Government’s National Security Commission (NSC). This plan was drawn up following a preliminary analysis of the Gudžiūnai and Jiesia accidents that occurred in early May, and the identification of their preliminary causes.

Preliminary estimates indicate that more than EUR 800 million would be required for safety solutions and infrastructure upgrades by 2030, LTG said in a press release.

“These figures clearly demonstrate the scale of the problems that have accumulated within the railway system over the past decade. The plan, therefore, sets out both short-term and long-term measures to improve railway traffic safety. The short-term measures will be implemented by Lithuanian Railways itself, whilst long-term solutions will depend on future state budget capacity and the company's financial results,” said Transport Minister Juras Taminskas.

According to acting LTG CEO Arūnas Rumskas, the Commission was also presented with preliminary estimates of the investment required for critical infrastructure – including the installation of Rail Baltica signalling, certain upgrades to the automatic rolling stock control system, and other railway traffic safety measures.

“Safety is and will remain LTG’s highest priority. We have drawn up a comprehensive plan of measures for technological improvement; however, we must also not overlook the importance of investing in our staff – raising their qualifications and their ability to manage complex technical situations,” said acting LTG CEO Arūnas Rumskas.

The short-term railway safety measures presented by LTG relate primarily to reducing the risks of rolling stock failure and human error. Operational algorithms are being reviewed, additional controls are being introduced into processes, supplementary briefings are being carried out, and rapid technical solutions are being deployed – including equipment upgrades at stations and the introduction of additional tools.

The long-term measures concern improving the condition of infrastructure and its components: from track repairs to the upgrading of management and monitoring tools. Among the long-term railway traffic safety measures are the reconstruction of the Vilnius–Kaunas overhead contact network, the installation of a new station management system, and the upgrading of the RAKP safety system (automatic rolling stock control).

According to Mr Rumskas, following both incidents, support is also being provided to the members of staff involved – psychological consultations have been arranged for them.

An LTG investigation into both accidents in the Kėdainiai and Kaunas districts has been launched, with the findings expected to be shared with the public in the near future.

Vilnius, May 20 (ELTA) – A rise in drone incidents in the Baltics is a direct result of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said Wednesday.

“We are seeing drone incidents intensifying in Estonia, Latvia and today in Lithuania. This is a direct consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Budrys told a joint press conference of Baltic and Canadian foreign ministers in Tallinn.

He said the Kremlin was attempting to direct drones towards the Baltic States and then spread propaganda accusing them of involvement in attacks against targets in Russia.

“These accusations remind us that we need effective deterrence,” he said, adding that Russia was lying and blaming others instead of ending the war.

Budrys said air defence on NATO’s eastern flank needed to be boosted and argued that the Baltic States had strong reasons to maintain a military presence in the region.

“I believe we have strong arguments to convince the United States not to reduce its presence in Europe and to act wisely,” he said.

He also urged continued pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.

“If there were no war, there would be no threats in our airspace and no such incidents,” he said.

Budrys spoke after the fourth Canada–Baltics “3+1” Foreign Ministers’ Meeting hosted by his Estonian counterpoart Margus Tsahkna. Besides the two, it was attended by Foreign Minister of Canada Anita Anand and Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Artjoms Uršulskis. 

Building on earlier meetings in Lithuania (2020), Canada (2022), and Latvia (2024), the ministers reaffirmed the value of this format in strengthening coordination among close Allies and like-minded partners.

The ministers agreed to remaining in close contact and look forward to their next meeting in the “3+1” format in 2027.