Baltija

News 🇱🇻🇷🇺Construction of the border fence resumes! After 5 years, the construction of a border fence on the Latvian-Russian border resumes, and the main priorities are expected to be finished by the end of the year. The work on the fence began in 2015 however in 2019 a criminal case was opened against the contractor, the Road Construction Company Igate. The case was opened because they were commiting fraud during the construction of the fence. As the indictment stated that the objects to be built were instead replaced by cheaper ones during construction including the fence and also the company aided in fraud with the state border guards and construction supervisors. Now the construction has been entrusted to the State Real Estate (VNĪ) who will overlook continuation and supervision. Chiefly the priority is to complete the already built infrastructure and to build the fence in the sections where it does not exist yet. @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram

News 🇩🇪🇱🇹 Lithuania could become Europe's next ammunition production hub After the Lithuanian government signed a letter of intent with Germany's defence industry giant Rheinmetall, the plans to build a 155mm ammunitions plant are in the works. The letter is not a clear commitment however but more of a promise to discuss or plan the conditions for the investment agreement. If the conditions are met, this could serve as good news for Lithuania as part of the deal would increase ammunitions supply to Lithuania while boosting both economy and security. The production plant would also fill Europe's ammunitions shortage problem. Both the Lithuanian government and private companies are expected to join as partners of the project and financially contribute. @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram

News 🇪🇪💣 Estonia's waters to host a mine-clearing operation. Dubbed Open Spirit 24, thirteen allied NATO warships will participate in a mine countermeasure operation. Open Spirit 24 takes place in Estonia's waters from April 15-26 and will consist of 14 ships, 11 shore-based divers, and underwater drone crews, totalling up to 700 staff from NATO allies all working together to destroy historical ordances in Estonian waters. Finland and Sweden are first to participate as part of the alliance for the first time. The Leader of the group Commander Ott Laanemets says that Open Spirt will make maritime areas safer and would provide realistic training while building NATO's deterrence posture. The operation is quite historical because it will be the first time NATO's countermeasures groups officially work with the Finnish Navy. @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram

Event 🇫🇷🇱🇹 France will hold a "Lithuanian Season" art event organized all over France In Autumn, France will host a series of events in 30 french cities between September 12th and until the end of the year. Over 130 projects were selected, and the event has attracted over 500 artists, experts, and performers. The head of the Lithuanian Culture Institute says that the events would allow the French to get to know Lithuanian arts, culture and history, and could open up the two countries to even wider opportunities. Prior to the opening the the Embassy of Lithuania in France is organising dozens of events under the name of the Prelude to the Season and the opening weekend will be full of events in Paris. The Pompidou Centre, in collaboration with the MO Museum in Vilnius, will open an exhibition showcasing Lithuania’s art since the 1960s. @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram

Photography 🇱🇹🪖 Some of Lithuania's Armored cars in the 1920s @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram

Investigation 🇱🇹📦🇷🇺 An investigation found that the Mayor of Kaunas has been exporting goods to Russia. A Lithuanian company co-owned by the Mayor of Kaunas has been exporting sanctioned items, which were “battlefield goods”, to Russia. Battlefield Goods are items that are essential to production of armaments which happen to be barred from even transport through Russia. The Vičiūnai Group (which owns the companies) is claiming that the goods transported by Plungė Cooperative Trade were needed to maintain their factory in Kaliningrad, but the groups claim to be unaware of the sanctions of these goods. The company continued exporting goods to Kaliningrad even after the invasion of Ukraine and after a series of sanctions were imposed on Russia. The investigation found that the battlefield goods that Plungė were exporting were bearings and had been previously warned by the European Commission. An investigation was launched by the Prime Minister of Lithuania to determine whether the goods are subject to strict EU sanctions or Lithuania's natural restrictions. @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram

Photography 🇱🇻🪖 A photograph from the international military exercises held in Ādaži. Interestingly, the military exercises are dubbed after the recent solar eclipse which happened on Monday. The "Solar Eclipse IV" drills consist of 600 participants from the Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Ground Forces and the National Guard, as well as from the Canada-led NATO battlegroup, plus Austrian and German armed forces. @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram

News 🇱🇹💣 A WWII bomb was found on a street in Lithuania. During an excavation job, a WWII bomb was found at around 16:00 and immediately after. Traffic was restricted on Liepkalnio Street in Vilnius during the traffic restrictions all buildings from 200 meters of the explosive were being evacuated. The explosive weighed 250kg and held a charge of 130kg, once it was excavated it was taken to Rūdninkai for destruction and traffic resumed. @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram

News 🇩🇪🇱🇹 Germany's first troops arrive in Lithuania! Germany's first deployments have begun. On Monday two dozen troops were sent to strengthen and increase NATO prescience in Lithuania. These arrivals were deployed with the goal of creating the right conditions on the ground for more troops. The brigade plans to be operational by 2027, and will host a permanent prescience of 4,800 soldiers and 200 Bundeswehr. By the end of 2024 the preliminary command is set to increase to a deployment force of around 150 men and women Germany has also pledged to deploy combat-ready troops & an independently capable combat unit as well. @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram

News 🇫🇮🇱🇻 Unpleasant smells in Helsinki possibly from a Latvian bog. On Sunday, in Helsinki many people reported very odd smells and strange odors. The Helsinki fire chief stated that the source of these smells was not actively being searched for. However the Helsinki City Rescue service reported that the smells possibly came from Latvia's Ķemeri national park according to meteorologists since the winds were coming from the south rather than the east. The origin of the odor remains a mystery, even though numerous authorities collaborated to search for its source. The Helsinki Rescue Department, Helsinki Police, Finnish Border Guard, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finnish Environment Institute and the Emergency Response Centre were all involved in the investigation. @OfficialBaltija Website (Coming Soon) | X | Instagram