Lithuania upgrades air defenses with Scandinavian weapons
Balloons, storm damage and a Latvian population drop
With wars merrily raging from Ukraine to the Middle East, it is perhaps right to start this irregular look-back at Baltic events with defense and military related events.
Lithuania is purchasing additional Scandinavian-built medium and short-range air defense systems valued at EUR 364 million, the NATO member country’s Ministry of Defense announced October 4.
“Contracts were signed this week with the Swedish manufacturer Saab Dynamics for the acquisition of the short-range air defense system RBS70 NG and the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace for the medium-range ground-based air defense system NASAMS,” the Ministry said in a press release. NASAMS stands for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System developed by the Norwegian defense company and Raytheon in the US.
The air defense systems will be deployed in Lithuania for use by the country’s armed forces, with the Swedish-made RBS70 systems to be deployed on the Lithuanian army’s armored all-terrain vehicles. This procurement is valued at EUR 130 million, the ministry said
An AI image of a NASAMS-type air defense missile launch.
Regarding the NASAMS to be purchased for EUR 234 million, local media quoted Minister of Defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas as saying : “This is a system designed to destroy cruise missiles, hostile helicopters, aircraft and similar hostile air objects.”
This is the third NASAMS system to be purchased by Lithuania with one system already deployed, the second to be delivered in the first quarter of 2026 and the most recent purchase to arrive in the second quarter of 2028, Kasčiūnas told local journalists.
According to the Defense Ministry, the delivery of a third NASAMS system, “not only additional rocket launchers, radars or fire control centers will be purchased, but also important updates and improvements will be implemented to the already available NASAMS systems.”
The announcement of the air defense procurement comes after a Russian-launched armed Shahed drone crashed in eastern Latvia in September after flying in from Belarus and as Lithuania continued to report “weather balloons” carrying contraband cigarettes landing on its territory.
Not quite “99 Luftballons” over Lithuania
A day earlier on October 3, Kasčiūnas asked that the NATO member country’s border guards and public security service be allowed to shoot down balloons entering Lithuanian airspace carrying contraband cigarettes.
The minister’s request for changes in the law comes as the Border Guard Service (VSAT) announced that it had “intercepted” a weather balloon carrying a package of contraband cigarettes that landed October 2 in a field near the border with Belarus.
The press release from the VSAT said that the balloon carried 1250 packs of Belarussian cigarettes and landed a day after another balloon landed in the same area the night of October 1 with some 3000 packs of cigarettes, apparently intended for smugglers.
According to VSAT, the use of weather balloons to smuggle cigarettes has increased since Lithuania closed several border crossings with Belarus, increased inspections at the remaining open crossing points and routed all trains from Belarus to a point where cargo wagons could be X-rayed.
Kasčiūnas request that border guards and the state security service (VST) – an armed gendarmerie- be allowed to shoot down balloons came after two incidents in recent days when a balloon landed in the sports stadium of a Lithuanian army base and another near Vilnius airport.
As a multimedia experiment, I am adding this link to a performance by Nena, the German rock singer, still going strong after breaking into the charts in 1983 with…99 Luftballons
Latvia’s population falls the most in the EU
There was news that may be snapped up by the “everything is bad” part of the Latvian population, who are often seen on social media. According to official statistics, Latvia showed the largest population decline last year in the European Union (EU)
Latvia’s population in 2023 showing a decease of 0.6% or 11.1 thousand persons, according to data published by the the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) October 2. In recent years, the population of Latvia has declined mainly because of negative natural growth, with the number of deaths exceeding the number of births. In 2023 there was a positive migration balance (immigrants outnumbered emigrants), but negative natural growth (-0.7%) nonetheless resulted in a population decline.
According to the CSB, in 2023 14,490 children were born in Latvia - 1 464 or 9.2% fewer than in 2022, the lowest number in the last 100 years. There were 8.8% fewer deaths last year than in 2022, and 19% fewer than the high mortality rate in 2021. However, the number of deaths per 1,000 population in Latvia in 2023 was the second highest in the EU after Bulgaria (the EU average is 10.8, in Latvia - 14.9, and in Bulgaria - 15.7).
Adding up the cost of summer storms in Latvia
It was a record warm and stormy summer. While news reports and social media were filled with images of storm-felled trees, damaged buildings and flooded streets after an intense late July storm, only now is the real cost of the summer’s wild weather being tallied.
Insurers in Latvia have paid out EUR 17 million in claims for damage caused by the late July storm in - the largest amount of insurance claims in Latvia for damage caused by a single natural disaster, according to data compiled by the Latvian Insurers Association (LAA).
As of September 11, insurers had received 9,578 claims for a total of EUR 23.7 million. With claims paid out amounting to EUR 17 million, 7 800 insurance cases were settled, or 81% of all claims, the LAA reported.
The previous highest payout for a single natural disaster in Latvia was last year when thunderstorms and hailstorms struck hit the southern Latvian region of Zemgale. EUR 16.6 million was paid out in claims for those storms.
Continuing my experiment with video links, here is one from a somewhat weird-ass YouTube news channel about the flooding on the Latvian city of Jelgava in July.
A “show trial” for helping refugees?
A trial is ongoing in the eastern Latvian city of Rēzekne of Ieva Raubiško a human rights activist accused of human smuggling for extending help to refugees trapped at the Latvian-Belarus border in harsh winter conditions. The trial touches on another hot issue – migrants seen as part of hybrid warfare against Latvia and western Europe and suspicion against anyone showing aid or sympathy for border crossers as possibly unwitting victims.
The prosecutor of the Latgale District Court in Rēzekne has asked the court to sentence Raubiško, project manager of the association "Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem" (I want to help refugees), to one year and six months in prison on charges of organizing illegal border crossing for a group of persons, according to a LETA report on October 3.
The next hearing is scheduled for October 30 when defendant Raubiško will present her closing defense arguments.
In January last year, Raubiško turned to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after receiving repeated requests for help from several people of Syrian origin who had been at the Latvian-Belarusian border for a long time. These people had crossed the Latvian-Belarusian border several times to seek asylum and had been redirected – pushed back - to Belarusian territory. Raubiško and another activist went to the border area to ensure that an ECHR ruling that the Syrians be give humanitarian aid and their asylum case heard was being respected. Criminal proceedings were initiated for these actions and Raubiško was later charged with organizing an illegal border crossing by a group.
Latvia joins International Energy Agency
On October 3, the Saeima adopted a fast-track law authorizing Latvia to joint the International Energy Agency (IEA). Proponents of the bill say the most important benefits of Latvia's participation in the IEA will be greater national security, including the provision of energy resources in the event of a crisis. Latvia will also be able to participate in decision-making on energy policy not only together with other EU members, but also with countries with a global impact on energy policy. The IEA members also have access to a strong analysis and planning team providing forecasts and data in all energy sectors, as well as recommendations, and to a database of policies and applied measures, according to supporters of Latvia joining the international agency.
Lithuania cuts more ties to Russia
The Lithuanian parliament , the Seimas, voted October 1 to denounce two treaties on investment protection with Russia and Belarus and a double taxation treaty with Russia, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarus support of Russia’s war effort.
The treaties, signed in 1999, committed the parties to promote and encourage investments in each other’s economies and set forth arrangements for resolving disputes. The tax treaty with Russia was intended to prevent double taxation in both countries and to discourage tax evasion on both sides.
“It is appropriate to denounce the agreements in view of the geopolitical situation - the ongoing unprecedented military aggression of Russia and its accomplice Belarus against Ukraine and the gross violation of international law, as well as the fact that in practice cross-border economic cooperation with the aggressor states is completely suspended and impossible, business investments of the aggressor states are not to be encouraged in Lithuania, and Lithuanian business should assess the riskiness of the markets of the aggressor states,” the Seimas said in a statement.
The treaties will be formally ended 12 months after notice of their denunciation is made by diplomatic channels to Russia and Belarus.
The termination of the treaties regulating commercial and tax relations with Belarus and Russia comes shortly after the Lithuanian government moved on Septembe 25 to end treaties on customs cooperation with Russia and Belarus.
These treaties provide for bilateral information sharing and cooperation among the customs services of Lithuania, Russia and Belarus on such matters as preventing smuggling of goods, anticipated freight traffic surges and the like, but ending them will not stop routine customs inspections of travelers between the countries.
Vilnius goes after Batkja
Lithuania on September 30 said it had asked the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague to investigate alleged crimes against humanity committed by the authoritarian regime of Belarus under President Alexander Lukashenko against his own people and seek arrest warrants for him and other officials.
While Belarus doesn’t recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, Lithuania’s Ministry of Justice said in a press statement that the expulsion or deportation of political opponents from Belarus to Lithuania amounted to committing a crime on Lithuanian territory and therefore could be investigated by the ICC prosecutor.
Thousands of Belarussians have been expelled or fled to Lithuania and other nearby countries because Lukashenko and his security forces “have waged a campaign against the civilian population of Belarus which has included, the following underlying unlawful acts: serious deprivation of fundamental rights; arbitrary detention, prosecution, and conviction; serious unlawful violence; unlawful killings; sexual violence; physical and mental harm; torture, inhuman and degrading treatment; intimidation and harassment; forced labor; and enforced disappearance among several others”, the statement said.
Lithuania’s Minister of Justice Ewelina Dobrowolska said the aim of launching an investigation against the Belarus regime was to eventually issue international arrest warrants for Lukashenko and other members of his government and security forces.
“Lithuania has been the first state to refer to the ICC concerning the situation in Ukraine, and eventually an arrest warrant for (Russian President Vladimir)Putin has been issued. Now, we make a move requesting the ICC to investigate situation in Belarus and we do expect an arrest warrant for Lukashenko”, the statement quotes Dobrowolska.
The request to the ICC prosecutor asks that events in Belarus since May 2020 be investigated. In 2020 a presidential election, widely seen as unfair and rigged, saw Lukashenko re-elected against opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who later fled to Lithuania. Tsikhanouskaya endorses the Lithuanian request to the ICC prosecutor and is quoted in the Lithuanian statement as saying:“This is not just about Belarus - it is about justice for all who value democratic peace. No more impunity. The International Criminal Court offers a clear path forward. We urge you to exercise your rights under Article 14 of the Rome Statute and help bring an end to this reign of terror.”