Last week, the incoming transport minister said that Lithuania will not buy airBaltic shares
Rheinmetall ammo plant to be built by mid-2026
German defence giant Rheinmetall’s 155 mm artillery ammunition plant in Lithuania’s Radviliškis District is expected to start operating in mid-2026, Rheinmetall said on Friday, the 29th of November. Representatives of the Lithuanian government and Rheinmetall signed a lease for a plot of land for the future plant in Radviliškis District and a contract for the purchase of 155 mm ammunition in Vilnius on Friday.
Acting Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas says Lithuania will purchase 155 mm ammunition from the Lithuanian plant as it is suitable for the German PzH 2000 and French Caesar self-propelled howitzers the Lithuanian army uses. Rheinmetall plans to invest more than 180 million euros into the 155 mm artillery ammunition plant in Lithuania, which should create at least 150 new jobs.
Incoming transport minister says Lithuania opts out of buying Air Baltic shares
Eugenijus Sabutis, the Social Democrats’ candidate for transport minister, said on Thursday, the 28th of November, that Lithuania will not be acquiring a stake in Latvia’s national airline Air Baltic. Outgoing Transport Minister Marius Skuodis said back in January that Lithuania was considering buying a stake in Air Baltic. At the time, he said that discussions were underway about potential deal terms, including basing some of the airline’s planes in Lithuania. In November, Air Baltic announced that it was postponing its initial public offering (IPO), originally planned for this year and expected to raise around 300 million euros, to 2025.
Lithuania, the US set up cyber defence body to beef up cyber security
Lithuania and the United States have agreed to develop military cooperation in the field of cyber defence through the establishment of a Lithuanian Cyber Defence Command (LTCYBERCOM) for joint cyber defence operations and cyber threat analysis, Lithuania’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday, the 28th of November. The move is part of the bilateral cyber security and defence cooperation plan 2025-2029, approved earlier this week The plan covers three pillars of Lithuania’s cyber defence, including strengthening military cyber defence capabilities, enhancing the resilience of society and critical infrastructure, and joint exercises with the US and other allies.
Lithuania to launch a round-the-clock fraud prevention centre
Police Commissioner General Arunas Paulauskas said on Thursday, the 28th of November, that Lithuania is setting up a round-the-clock fraud prevention centre to tackle online and phone scams, with the police responsible for its operations. He provided no exact launch date but expects the centre to be up and running “within the next few months”. Before the centre becomes operational, the police will consult with the central Bank of Lithuania, the Communications Regulatory Authority, and the National Cyber Security Centre to “find tools” to be concentrated at the centre, ensuring its officers can efficiently block fraudulent bank transfers and websites. According to the police chief, this would allow the movement of funds to be stopped at an early stage and would significantly increase the chances of returning money to the victims. Police data show that electronic fraud accounts for at least 70% of all fraud cases, with about 3 000 such crimes registered annually. According to data from financial market participants, individuals in Lithuania were defrauded of 12.3 million euros in 2023, a 3.9 percent increase compared to 2022.
Lithuania backs Poland’s idea of Baltic Sea policing mission
Acting Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas has backed Poland’s proposal to set up a special force to protect the Baltic Sea infrastructure, saying that the Nordic, Baltic and NATO navies would be capable of carrying out such a mission. Kasčiūnas’ comment came Wednesday, the 27th of November, after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a Baltic-Nordic meeting in Sweden that he was proposing to create “a Baltic Sea policing mission” in light of the region’s “need for new tools and ambitious means to counter threats”. Dovilė Šakalienė, the Social Democrats’ candidate to become Lithuania’s next defence minister, echoed his position. She said she agreed with Tusk’s argument that regional countries need new formats and bolder positions on security in the Baltic Sea. Tusk’s proposal comes after two Baltic Sea underwater telecoms cables were cut last week – one connecting Lithuania and Sweden, the other linking Germany and Finland. A Chinese-flagged ship, which had departed from Russia, is suspected of being involved.
Lithuania allocates five million euros for solar power plants in Ukraine
Lithuania allocated five million euros for the installation of solar power plants in Ukraine after the Lithuanian government approved a support program for Ukraine’s energy sector, Rasa Kairienė, the head of the Foreign Ministry’s Development Cooperation Department, said on Wednesday, the 27th of November. According to the Foreign Ministry, Ukraine’s energy production capacity has more than halved since the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022. Lithuania’s total support to Ukraine will reach 1.45 billion euros by the end of this year, the Foreign Ministry said.
Black boxes from crashed DHL plane in Vilnius sent to Germany
The black boxes from the DHL cargo plane that crashed in Vilnius on Monday, the 25th of November, were sent to Germany for decoding, Laurynas Naujokaitis, the Lithuanian Justice Ministry’s Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Division, said on Wednesday, the 27th of November. The plane also clipped a house with 13 people inside, but they all escaped unharmed. The cause of the crash remains unclear, with sabotage or terrorism not yet ruled out.
Lithuania mulls five small nuclear reactors
Lithuania will need five small nuclear reactors in the future, Lithuania’s acting Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys said on Tuesday, the 26th of November, after he signed an agreement with the US to exchange information on the possibility of developing fourth-generation small nuclear reactors. According to him, for the system to have the best prices for our consumers, both businesses and residents, Lithuania would need 1.5 GW, 300 MW-each small nuclear reactors by 2040. Kreivys and US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm had signed an agreement in Washington on cooperation in the implementation of the civilian nuclear program, the Energy Ministry said. The US will share with Lithuania its experience in the development of next-generation nuclear power and will also produce an analysis of the business model for fourth-generation small nuclear reactors and an assessment of their development options.
Lithuania to up borrowing limit for defence in 2025 budget
Lithuania’s new government and parliament will increase the borrowing limit for defence when adopting next year’s budget, Rimantas Šadžius, the Social Democrats’ candidate for finance minister, said on Monday, the 25th of November. President Gitanas Nausėda’s calls for defence funding to reach at least 3.5% of GDP next year, but the presumable finance minister says that this target would be impossible to achieve using revenue from “current taxes” alone but stressed the importance of ensuring sustainable resources to repay any debt. The candidate would not comment on the possibility of allocating 3.5% of GDP to defence as early as next year. Currently, Lithuania allocates around 2.5 billion euros, or about 3.2% of GDP, to defence.
A DHL cargo plane crashes near Vilnius airport
A cargo plane crashed near Vilnius International Airport on Monday, the 25th of November, leaving one person dead and three others injured, according to initial reports. The Fire and Rescue Department said that at 5:28 a.m. they received a report of a plane crashing into a residential house on Liepkalnio Street. Reportedly, there were four people on board. A Spanish national, 48, was killed and another Spanish citizen, as well as a German and a Lithuanian, were injured in the crash. Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU) said that the aircraft of the cargo company DHL had arrived from Leipzig, Germany.