Vilnius, November 5 (ELTA) – Vilnius Airport was closed on Wednesday morning, 5 November, after a drone was spotted flying over it. Operations again proceeded as normal later in the morning, Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) confirmed to the news agency ELTA.

According to LTOU, suspension of operations affected two flights.

“On 5 November, at around 9:50 a.m. temporary airspace restrictions were introduced over Vilnius Airport. Based on initial information, the decision on airspace restriction was made after a drone was spotted in the territory of Vilnius Airport,” LTOU representative Tadas Vasiliauskas told ELTA.

Airspace was reopened at around 10:18 a.m. and all operations at Vilnius Airport resumed as normal.

As reported, Vilnius Airport was closed several times in October due to meteo balloons smuggling cigarettes from Belarus. Responding to these incidents, on 29 October Lithuania closed the border with Belarus for a month until 30 November.

Vilnius, November 4 (ELTA) – Lithuania’s former foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Monday was named the recipient of the 2025 Magnitsky Award for “Outstanding Contribution to the Magnitsky Justice Campaign.” An awards committee said on X Landsbergis was honoured for his exceptional leadership in mobilising international action for human rights and targeted sanctions. 

“In his time as Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis made sure that Lithuania became known globally as a standard-bearer in the fight for freedom and rule of law. He provided huge support to Ukraine, expanded Lithuania’s connections in the Indo-Pacific and supported initiatives in support of all freedom-loving people, in Moldova, Georgia, Taiwan or any place where freedom is under threat,” the Magnitsky Awards Committee wrote on its official website.

According to the committee, Landsbergis’ ability to cut through the noise became his trademark, helping him gain 100,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter) through bold, principled commentary, frequent appearances on outlets including CNN, BBC’s HardTalk, Sky News, Bloomberg, and Fox, and widely noted speeches in Brussels and the United States. Observers say he elevated Lithuania’s profile on the world stage, emerging as an award-winning and influential voice in international affairs.

“Since leaving all his political and diplomatic posts in 2024, Gabrielius continues to leverage his communication skills to push back against despots and their collaborators all over the world,” the committee said.

The Magnitsky Awards, established in 2015, honour journalists, politicians and activists who champion human rights. Named after Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in police custody after uncovering state corruption, the awards reflect his legacy through the Magnitsky Act, which targets human rights abusers with asset freezes and visa bans. Past recipients include Boris Nemtsov, John McCain, Jamal Khashoggi, Maria Ressa and Oleg Sentsov.

Vilnius, November 4 (ELTA) – President Gitanas Nausėda has resubmitted Haroldas Šinkūnas’ nomination for judge of the Constitutional Court to the Seimas, after it failed to secure support from lawmakers earlier.

In October, the Seimas held a secret ballot to appoint Julius Sabatauskas and Artūras Driukas as Constitutional Court judges. However, the president’s nominee Šinkūnas was turned down.

Vilnius University Professor Šinkūnas was rejected as too few lawmakers supported his candidacy – 53 voted for his appointment, 44 voted against and 22 abstained. 

At that time, the presidency linked the rejection to the president’s veto on a law passed in the Parliament that aimed to ease penalties for officials who misused expenses allowances.

However, political sources suggested the ruling party opposed the president’s candidate due to Nausėda’s criticism of the decision to nominate MP Sabatauskas, who recently left the Social Democratic Party, to the court.

Šinkūnas, dean of the Faculty of Law at Vilnius University, previously served as a legal adviser to former President Valdas Adamkus.

The Constitutional Court consists of 9 judges appointed for one 9-year term of office. Three new judges are appointed every three years. Candidates are put forward by the president, the Seimas speaker and chairman of the Supreme Court.

Vilnius, November 4 (ELTA) – An official ceremony on Tuesday, attended by Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, marked the start of construction of the Rheinmetall artillery shell factory in Baisogala, the Government’s press service said.

“This project represents a new and important stage in Lithuanian–German cooperation in the defence industry. It is not only an investment in technology, but also in a safer future for Lithuania, the region, and Europe. It also reflects mutual trust and the excellent bilateral relations between Lithuania and Germany,” Prime Minister Ruginienė said at the event.

The modern 155 mm artillery ammunition factory will be operated by the jointly established company Rheinmetall Defence Lietuva. Direct investment in Lithuania will reach up to EUR 300 million and the factory will create at least 150 jobs. The facility is expected to start operations in Lithuania as early as 2026.

“We sincerely hope that once Ukraine prevails, a lasting and just peace will be established on our continent. However, we soberly understand that Europe must remain vigilant, and that investment in defence, resilience, and preparedness is essential,” Ruginienė stated.

Also today, the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation and Rheinmetall signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of an ammunition manufacturing competence centre.

The prime minister wished all parties involved in the ammunition factory project continued smooth cooperation and assured that this project, as well as collaboration with Rheinmetall, one of the world’s leading defence industry companies, will continue to have strong Government support.

Vilnius, November 5 (ELTA) – On 4 November, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys visited mass murder sites in the Liaudiškiai forest, Radviliškis district, where he paid tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, reports the MFA. The entire Jewish community of Šeduva – about 700 men, women, and children – was murdered in these killing pits in 1941.

“Thoughts infected with antisemitism give rise to lethal violence. The fate of the Šeduva Jewish community is not only a historical fact – it is a painful lesson that obliges us, everywhere and always, to resolutely counter all manifestations of hatred. Remembrance of the Holocaust tragedy is our moral commitment to build a society where respect, empathy, and responsibility prevail,” said Minister Budrys.

Massacre sites in the Laudiškiai forest were tidied up at the initiative of the Šeduva Jewish Memorial Foundation in 2014-2015. Two monuments by the sculptor Romas Kvintas have been erected: “The Door” and “Ray – Star”, symbolically commemorating the memory of the destroyed community and inviting visitors to reflect on the tragedy of the past and its implications for today’s world.

During the visit, the minister also visited the Lost Shtetl Museum. Opened this year, the museum invites its visitors to explore the Jewish history, culture, religion, and everyday life of Lithuanian shtetls through the stories of the Jewish community of Šeduva.

The idea of the museum came to writer Sergejus Kanovičius. The project was launched in 2014 after the restoration of the Šeduva Jewish cemetery. The Lost Shtetl is not only a centre of cultural memory, but also a space for dialogue among peoples, calling for a rethink of the legacy of the destroyed civilization of Jewish towns.

Vilnius, November 5 (ELTA) – The State Data Agency (Statistics Lithuania) reports that based on data of the Labour Force Survey, in the third quarter 2025, the unemployment rate stood at 6.6 percent and, compared to the second quarter 2025, decreased by 0.6 percentage point, compared to the third quarter 2024 – by 0.2 percentage point.

In Q3 2025, the male unemployment rate stood at 7.3, female – 5.9 percent. The youth (persons aged 15-24) unemployment rate stood at 12.5 percent, and over a quarter decreased by 5.6 percentage points, over a year – by 7.1 percentage points. Over a quarter, the long-term unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage point and, in Q3 2025, stood at 2.6 percent, while compared to the respective period of 2024, it increased by 0.4 percentage point.

In Q3 2025, there were 105 thousand unemployed persons aged 15-74, of whom 15 thousand – aged 15-24. Over a quarter, the number of unemployed persons decreased by 8.4 thousand. In Q3 2025, the number of the long-term unemployed totalled 40.9 thousand (39 percent of the total number of unemployed persons). Over a quarter, the number of the long-term unemployed decreased by 2.2 thousand, over a year increased by 5.6 thousand.

In Q3 2025, the employment rate of persons aged 15-64 stood at 75.1 percent.

In Q3 2025, the employment rate of persons aged 15-64 stood at 75.1 percent and over a quarter increased by 1.1 percent, over a year – by 0.9 percentage point. In the said age group, the female employment rate was by 0.1 percentage point higher than that of male (75.1 and 75 percent respectively).

In Q3 2025, the youth (persons aged 15-24) employment rate stood at 37.1 percent and over a quarter increased by 9.2 percentage point, over a year – by 4.1 percentage point. Over a quarter, the employment rate of persons aged 55-64 decreased by 2.7 percentage point and stood at 69 percent in Q3 2025.

In Q3 2025, the number of persons classified under the labour force totalled 1 million 590.6 thousand, which is by 17.2 thousand more than in Q2 2025.

In Q3 2025, there were 1 million 485.6 thousand persons who worked or had a job. Over a quarter, the number of employed persons increased by 25.6 thousand, over a year – by 4 thousand.

In Q3 2025, there were 903.4 thousand economically inactive persons aged 15 and older, more than half (62.3 percent) of them were old-age pensioners and persons entitled to anticipatory old-age pension, 14.6 percent – students aged 15–24.

Vilnius, November 5 (ELTA) – Striving to implement the Constitutional Court’s ruling and legalise partnership, MP Laurynas Šedvydis, chair of the Seimas Committee on Human Rights, together with representatives of the Liberal Movement and the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), has submitted a bill on partnership.

If adopted, the law would legalise gender-neutral partnership both between different- and same-sex partners.

Partnerships would have to be confirmed by notaries. Agreements would be registered and included to the Registry of Marriages and Partnerships.

Amendments to the Civil Code would stipulate that partnership is an agreement on cohabitation between two adults, creating family relations.

Partnerships would be terminated by notaries when partners do not have children that are minors and, in other cases, by court.

The bill is aimed at regulating both property and personal relations of partners, and their property relations with third parties.

If approved by the Seimas, the law would take effect in 2027.

In April 2025, the Constitutional Court ruled that the absence of the possibility to conclude same-sex partnership violates the Constitution.

From April to September, 18 lawsuits were filed demanding to recognise partnerships.

Vilnius, November 5 (ELTA) – Irregular migrants did not attempt to cross from Belarus to Lithuania on Tuesday, 4 November, reports the State Border Guard Service (VSAT).

Meanwhile, Latvia stopped 13 migrants from illegally entering its territory from Belarus on Tuesday, whereas Poland turned back to Belarus 18 irregular migrants on Monday.

So far this year, by 5 November, the VSAT has prevented 1,546 irregular migrants from accessing Lithuania via Belarus. The figure stood at 1,002 at the end of 2024.

Since the start of the migrant crisis caused by Belarus in 2021, Lithuania has thwarted a total of 24,508 illegal border crossing attempts.

Vilnius, November 4 (ELTA) – On Wednesday, President Gitanas Nausėda will meet with Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas to discuss the latest political developments.

The meeting comes amid discussions on the 2026 state budget while the positions of the national defence minister and culture minister are still vacant.

The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) has nominated Robertas Kaunas as the new defence minister to replace Dovilė Šakalienė who was dismissed amid disagreements with Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė over defence funding. The president had already met with the candidate and assessed him favourably.

Meanwhile, the culture minister’s position has been vacant for over a month since the resignation of Ignotas Adomavičius, a representative of the Nemunas Dawn party.

In early October, the LSDP announced to have taken over the culture minister’s portfolio from the Nemunas Dawn party but has not yet nominated a new candidate. However, three new deputy ministers – Aleksandras Brokas, Anna Kuznecovienė and Renata Kurmin – have already been appointed.

Vilnius, November 4 (ELTA) – A team of NATO experts chaired by Director of the Policy and Capabilities Division in the International Military Staff Karl Ford and Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning Zamir Nichol Catsar paid a visit to the Ministry of National Defence (MoD), according to a statement from the ministry. 

With Deputy Minister of National Defence Tomas Godliauskas, Defence Policy Director Vaidotas Urbelis and other MoD and Lithuanian Armed Forces representatives on Lithuania’s side, the guests took stock of Lithuania’s progress on the Alliance’s defence planning requirements – and discussed directions of further capability development.

NATO commitments of the Allies were confirmed at the NATO Defence Ministerial in June 2025. The scope of Lithuania’s commitments has significantly expanded since the previous planning cycle, especially for the short term, therefore, the visit emphasized the importance of keeping the defence budget bar at 5–6% of GDP forward. The decision of the State Defence Council to dedicated 5–6% of GDP for defence was praised as a substantial step to ensure the NATO commitments are delivered on. 

According to Defence Policy Director Urbelis, Lithuania was consistently strengthening its military capabilities and civil readiness in order not just to fulfil the NATO commitments but also to ensure national security in the long term. 

“Lithuania is committed to contributing to the defence of the entire Alliance territory from the first centimetre. We aim for capabilities that add power nationally but also are compatible with the Allied structure, just like the decisions – based on operational necessity and cost-effective in terms of resources,” said Urbelis.

Lithuania has done significant practical work since approving the commitments, that will build up in the advantage of effective implementation of NATO commitments in the future. However, several challenges were pinpointed as well and Lithuania will have to find solutions. The risky areas include manning, timely acquisition of equipment and integration of it, and the capacity of defence industry to manufacture and hand over the required amount of equipment on time.

Also, compatibility of concepts of different countries, additional requirements of the Capability Building Plan, and possible shifts in the US defence policy concerning a larger part of the burden for European security channeled to Europe.

Representatives of the Ministry of National Defence also expressed a stance on the upcoming planning cycle and presented proposals to the NATO team. Among the highlights there were the importance of keeping the level of ambition of the NATO Political Guidance agreed to in 2023 and loyalty to the principle of every inch of the Allied territory, as well as the necessity to retain the minimum NATO capability requirements set in 2024 to ensure a reliable implementation of the regional operational plans. 

The NATO experts also underscored that Lithuania’s activity testified of a consistent implementation of the commitments and a strong political will, while the national efforts were an important contribution in ensuring collective defence in the eastern flank. 

Vilnius, November 4 (ELTA) – Three new deputy culture ministers took office on Tuesday,  as the Inga Ruginienė-led Government continues to operate without a culture minister for a second month.

Aleksandras Brokas, Anna Kuznecovienė and Renata Kurmin were appointed to strengthen the ministry’s leadership, said Education, Science and Sports Minister Raminta Popovienė, who is temporarily heading the ministry. 

She said the move was vital to maintain continuity ahead of Lithuania’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Brokas, a film producer and director, will oversee professional arts, international cultural cooperation, cinema and creative industries, as well as literature, publishing and ties with the Lithuanian diaspora.

Kuznecovienė, who was part of former minister Šarūnas Birutis’ team, will focus on cultural heritage, digitisation and architectural arts, while Kurmin, who has many years of experience in project administration, communication, coordination of cultural events, will be responsible for libraries, museums, archives and regional cultural policy.

However, representatives of the cultural community, who on Monday urged the Government not to form the ministry’s political team until a new minister is named, criticised the move, calling it a “political absurdity.”

Vilnius, November 4 (ELTA) – Lithuania will receive a EUR 300 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to bolster its defence capabilities, the Ministry of Finance said Tuesday.

The financing agreement is set to be signed Friday by Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas and EIB Vice President Karl Nehammer, who will be visiting Vilnius.

In June, the ministry said Lithuania had already secured EUR 1 billion in funding for national defence from international financial institutions, with the total expected to reach EUR 1.5 billion by year’s end.

Earlier this year, the EIB approved a EUR 540 million loan for the construction of the Rūdninkai military campus, where a German brigade is expected to be stationed by 2027. In May, Lithuania signed a EUR 400 million loan agreement with the Nordic Investment Bank to enhance national security from 2025 to 2027.

The funds are earmarked for dual-use infrastructure, acquisition and modernization of military equipment, and strengthening cyber security, the ministry said.