Lithuania

Vilnius, October 5, 2026. The Lithuanian press, from Verslo žinios to 15min and Kauno diena, reports the unannounced visit of the German Chancellor to Kiev on Sunday, October 4, as a gesture of support at a time when Russia is intensifying its strikes. Verslo žinios quotes his statement upon arrival: "If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us." The economic daily notes that Berlin, one of Ukraine's largest supporters, acted a day after Moscow's warning to foreigners and diplomats to leave the Ukrainian capital, citing new massive air strikes. It recalls that Moscow had issued a similar warning in May, which was ignored by Kiev's allied leaders.

The military aspect takes center stage. 15min, citing German government sources, talks about "thousands of interceptor drones" soon to be handed over to the Ukrainian army, accelerated production of long-range armaments, and one billion euros from already voted credits, plus 350 million euros to repair destroyed power plants. Verslo žinios devotes a separate article to industrial agreements: 14 contracts worth around 6.6 billion euros, including IRIS-T missiles with Diehl Defence, radars with Hensoldt, and jet-powered interceptor drones with Quantum Systems. Merz justifies the effort: "We are doing it also in our own interest, because it is a matter of European security."

Lithuanian media emphasize the context of the strikes. Kauno diena reports that a drone hit a bridge in northern Kiev in the morning and that alerts sounded several times during the visit, particularly near the National Academy of Sciences, which was hit the previous week. Verslo žinios, citing Reuters, mentions at least two deaths at the Academy, while Kauno diena talks about a woman killed and six injured. 15min quotes Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who says the situation is "very dramatic" and that Russia is "tearing the city apart".

The political message is repeated verbatim: "Mr. Putin, stop this senseless war," Merz says, stating he is ready to negotiate but demands that "the guns fall silent" first and qualifies the attacks as "daily war crimes". He also denounces cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns targeting European democracies: "This shows that we will not be intimidated." Verslo žinios adds the Russian response, which considers the accusations of hybrid war unfounded and sees them as "anti-Russian hysteria". The articles consulted do not mention either the Taurus missiles or Ukraine's accession to the European Union.