RUSI

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office met with human rights defenders to discuss the safety of Belarusians and the accountability of Alexander Lukashenko's regime for ongoing repression. The talks focused on documenting abuses and protecting those targeted inside Belarus and in exile. Rights groups have long pressed for international accountability mechanisms over political persecution in the country.

A security alert was triggered at the school attended by Prince Harry and Meghan's children, according to ITV News. The incident prompted a response at the school, though details about what specifically happened and whether the family was present remain limited. The story is drawing wide attention in the UK given the couple's high profile and ongoing concern for their children's safety.

Estonia has moved to prohibit the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain across its territory, tightening pressure on Moscow and Minsk amid the war in Ukraine. The move targets flows that previously moved through the Baltic state toward European markets, and officials frame it as a sanctions-alignment step. Reactions are divided between those welcoming a tougher stance and those warning of economic fallout for local transit firms.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called on European governments to maintain sanctions and diplomatic isolation of Alexander Lukashenko's regime. In an interview with The Parliament Magazine, she argued that easing pressure would weaken the opposition and embolden Minsk. Her remarks come as debate continues in Europe over whether engagement or firmness best serves change in Belarus.

A Russian drone has crashed in Moldova, in what is being reported as the third airspace intrusion of the day and the second confirmed crash. The incident points to repeated Russian drones entering or straying into Moldovan territory, deepening concerns about the war in neighbouring Ukraine spilling over the border. Details about damage or casualties were not immediately available.

Lithuania is moving to ban Russian and Belarusian artists who performed in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories from entering or working in the country. The step follows similar measures by Baltic states and Ukraine itself against cultural figures seen as legitimising the occupation. Details of which performers would be covered, and how the ban would be enforced, remain unclear.

Lithuania is considering a ban, taking effect from 2027, on Russian and Belarusian artists who have performed in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. The proposed measure targets entertainers who legitimized the occupation through their performances, and could bar them from entering or performing in Lithuania. The move reflects continued Baltic states' hardening against cultural figures seen as supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.