‘No hybrid attack will be tolerated,’ Lithuanian PM says, with Belarus border closure
We are also getting a bit more detail on the technical process of implementing Lithuania’s decision to close its border with Belarus (9:49).
The border is currently closed on the basis of a temporary decision made by the country’s border force, and a further indefinite closure will be discussed and expected to be approved at the government meeting on Wednesday.
The country’s prime minister Inga Ruginienė said at a press conference earlier today that the government has already drafted the order, which includes only very limited exceptions for Lithuanian and EU citizens as well as diplomatic mail to be still allowed through the border.
“All other movement will be halted. This sends a clear signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be tolerated here, and we will take the strictest possible measures to stop such actions,” she said, as quoted by public broadcaster LRT.
Key events
Italian court approves extradition of Nord Stream suspect to Germany – reports
Meanwhile, we are getting a line from Italy that a court has approved the extradition of a Ukrainian suspect in the Nord Stream explosion case to Germany, according to German DPA news agency and Reuters.
The suspect, identified previously only as Serhii K. under privacy laws, is expected to appeal against the decision to Italy’s highest court, his defence lawyer told Reuters.
I will bring you more on this when we have it.
French police arrest two men over €88m Louvre jewel heist
Jon Henley
in Paris
Over in France, French police have arrested two suspects believed to have helped steal crown jewels worth an estimated €88m (£76m) from the Louvre museum in Paris, officials have said, a week after one of the country’s most spectacular heists in decades.
The Paris public prosecutor confirmed media reports on Sunday that one man had been detained at about 10pm local time on Saturday at the capital’s Charles de Gaulle airport by officers from the armed robberies and serious burglaries squad.
The prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, did not say how many arrests had been made nor whether any jewels had been recovered, but officials close to the investigation confirmed to French media that a second suspect had also been taken into custody in the Paris region.
Beccuau said she regretted the premature revelation of the arrests in multiple media outlets, saying it “could only jeopardise the work of more than 100 investigators mobilised to recover the stolen jewels and apprehend all of the perpetrators.”
Poland detains two Ukrainians for allegedly spying for foreign intelligence
Elsewhere, Poland has detained two Ukrainians accused of collecting details of soldiers and critical infrastructure for foreign intelligence as Warsaw cracks down on alleged espionage by Russia and Belarus, Reuters reported.
The two Ukrainians were among eight people whose detention by Poland and Romania was announced last week, said special services minister Tomasz Siemoniak.
“This is evidence that we are witnessing an intensification of sabotage activities and preparations for sabotage cases,” Siemoniak told Polish radio on Monday.
Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) said the two Ukrainian citizens, aged 32 and 34, were detained in the southern city of Katowice on 14 October.
The ABW said in a statement that the suspects had allegedly collected information about members of the Polish Armed Forces and infrastructure related to efforts to support Ukraine.
Lithuania not ruling out Nato Article 4 talks over balloons, Ruginienė says
Lithuania’s Ruginienė also said that the country was not ruling out the possibility it could call for Nato’s Article 4 consultations, Reuters reported.
The Article 4 – not to be mistaken with much more serious Article 5 provision – allows countries to call for Nato talks “whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened.”
The procedure was only used nine times in Nato’s history, but fairly recently triggered by Poland and Estonia after two incidents of Russian airspace violations in September.
Lithuania to close border with Belarus, shoot down balloons, prime minister says
We are just getting first lines from the Lithuanian prime minister, Inga Ruginienė, following this morning’s security council meeting.
The government will pursue a plan to close its border with Belarus “except for diplomats and EU citizens leaving Belarus,” she said, and pledged to shoot down any further balloons disrupting the Lithuanian airspace.
“This is how we send a signal to Belarus and say that no hybrid attack will be tolerated here, we will take all the strictest measures to stop such attacks,” she said in comments reported by public broadcaster LRT.
Almost 30,000 passengers hit by disruptions at Vilnius airport last week
According to Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT, the Vilnius Airport has reopened this morning with almost 50 flights affected by cancellations, diversions and delays, hitting thousands of passengers.
In total, more than 170 flights were disrupted over the course of the week, complicating the journey of almost 30,000 passengers, the airport operator told LRT.
It was explained that the decision to close the airspace as a precaution was deemed necessary as some of the balloons detected near the airport were believed to weigh up to 50-60 kg, and any impact with an incoming aircraft could have “dramatic” consequences.
Morning opening: Lithuania to consider responding to balloons from Belarus closing its airspace
Jakub Krupa
Lithuania closed its Vilnius Airport for the fourth time in a week last night after several objects, believed to be helium balloons, entered its airspace.
The balloons were primarily believed to be used by smugglers transporting contraband cigarettes from Belarus, but authorities blamed Russia and Belarus for putting more pressure on Vilnius and testing the country’s readiness.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center, told the country’s national broadcaster LRT that up to 66 objects were spotted on radars on Sunday night.
Deividas Matulionis, a senior advisor to Lithaunia’s president Gitanas Nausėda, said it was part of a “hybrid psychological operation” seeking to disrupt everyday life of Lithuanians.
“We very much hope that immediate action will be taken, but there should also be very strong diplomatic action and certain legal measures, which should be approved by the Seimas as soon as possible,” he told LRT.
The country’s national security council will meet today to discuss next steps, including potential measures on extending the temporary closure of borders with Belarus or restricting transit through the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
Elsewhere, I will be keeping an eye on:
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the German foreign minister Joseph Wadephul’s visit to Brussels where he is due to meet Nato’s Mark Rutte and senior EU representatives,
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Hungary’s Viktor Orbán’s trip to see Pope Leo at the Vatican and the Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome,
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and the final days of the Dutch election campaign ahead of the polling day on Wednesday.
Lots to cover today. I will bring you all the latest here.
It’s Monday, 27 October 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
