Vaidotas Beniušis (@BeniusisV) header
Vaidotas Beniušis (@BeniusisV) profile picture

Lithuanian journalist | Chief Editor at https://xitter.gq/t.co/FSsundb5Mb | Former journalist at @AFP and @BNSLithuania | Views are my own; retweets not endorsements

Vilnius, Lithuania
Joined August 2011
An arson attempt targeted site housing SpaceX's #Starlink infrastructure in #Lithuania's capital Vilnius overnight. Crisis chief Vitkauskas said the incident appeared to be part of a wider Russian effort to disrupt Starlink operations and undermine Ukraine's military operations.
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For the first time, a drone has been shot down over #Lithuania. • Downed by Italian #NATO jets at ~00:20 • Entered Lithuania from Belarus • Debris fell in central Lithuania; military checking for explosives • Vilnius residents received an air-raid warning
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UPDATE: An explosive device was found on the drone shot down over #Lithuania by NATO fighter jets overnight. Bomb disposal experts have neutralised it. The drone entered from #Belarus. Investigators are examining whether it was a Russian or Ukrainian drone.
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#Lithuania’s President @GitanasNauseda says a massive hack targeting the country’s real estate registry may be linked to hostile foreign actors. Hackers allegedly accessed 600,000+ property records, including personal ID numbers, through compromised government accounts.
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Residents of Vilnius were urged to seek shelter after a suspected drone from Belarus triggered an alert in #Lithuania. Vilnius Airport temporarily suspended flights while NATO jets were scrambled. The alert was later lifted.
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Lithuanian and Latvian radars tracked the suspected drone, prompting NATO jets to scramble. Fighters were tasked with destroying the UAV, but no hostile drone was visually confirmed. It remains unclear whether the drone crashed or left #Lithuania's airspace. The search is ongoing
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Another air alert in #Lithuania over suspected drone incursions today. Two drones entered Lithuanian airspace and later disappeared from military radars. #NATO jets and a military helicopter were deployed in the search.
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“We are seeing a rise in temperature in Russia’s rhetoric toward the #Baltic States,” the Lithuanian President’s National Security Advisor @DMatulionis says, warning that Russia is actively spreading lies that Baltic territory is being used for Ukraine’s actions against Russia
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"#Ukraine is winning this war," #Finland's @alexstubb tells me in an interview, arguing that Europe should consider coordinated talks with Russia - from a position of strength youtu.be/J7rHBdMzTWA?si=sQTp…
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Three drone explosions reported across the Baltic states this week. Officials say they likely entered airspace accidentally, amid intensifying Ukraine–Russia drone warfare driven by Russia’s ongoing aggression
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Lithuanian court has sentenced a Ukrainian national to three years in prison for setting fire to an Ikea store in Vilnius, convicting him of carrying out a terrorist act orchestrated by Russia’s military intelligence service. Photo credit: @BNSLithuania
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Russia and China are using "the same playbook" to pressure their neighbours, #Taiwan’s Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao @bikhim tells me in an interview. We also talked about Trump, Ukraine, and #Lithuania’s unique decision to host a Taiwanese office. youtu.be/5tjt7BjON74?si=yepL…
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#Lithuania shuts border with #Belarus for a month over security concerns after balloon incidents
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#Lithuania to spend 5.38% of GDP on defense in 2026, according to the draft budget just released by the government
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52 political prisoners have been freed from #Belarus, including 6 Lithuanian citizens. Among them is Elena Ramanauskienė, whom Lithuania recognizes as a political prisoner, jailed in 2024 on spying charges. Video: Lithuanian Foreign Ministry
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This morning, residents in Vilnius were warned by police about an unidentified drone that entered from Belarusian airspace. Authorities urge anyone who spots the downed drone to avoid approaching it and immediately call 112.
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#Lithuania to reinforce air defenses near the Belarus border after second suspected drone breach this month
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An unmanned aircraft from Belarus entered Lithuanian airspace on Thursday, prompting a brief military alert; PM @g_paluckas and Speaker @Skvernelis_S were taken to shelters. The object resembled a homemade aircraft and posed no threat, according to the Defence Ministry
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First video from the site where a suspected drone from Belarus entered Lithuanian airspace and crashed near the border
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Lithuanian Defence Minister @DSakaliene says the drone that crashed near the border after entering from Belarus was a Russian-made Gerbera model. Its purpose is under investigation; there's no data yet suggesting it was intentionally sent into Lithuanian territory
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