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Lithuania warns Russia could be planning 'targeted' attacks on critical infrastructure
Meanwhile, Lithuania’s president Gitanas Nausėda warned that Russia could be planning attacks on infrastructure, with security around energy and transport sites to be tightened as a precaution.
Speaking with BNS news agency, Nausėda appeared to confirm growing concerns, reported in the Guardian too, that Russia could be looking to escalate against one of the Baltic countries or Poland.
He said that Lithuanian intelligence services picked up “signals” of a potential provocation, but “they do not identify a specific place or time, because that is simply impossible to determine,” LRT reported.
“I cannot deny that we have such information and that it concerns kinetic operations – not on a large scale, but targeted kinetic operations that are very likely to be directed against critical infrastructure.”
He added:
“Anything that could stop these facilities from functioning is important because they matter not only in themselves but also because they ensure the functioning of the entire system, particularly our synchronisation with the continental European electricity grid.”
Nausėda’s comments are the latest to come from central and eastern Europe amid fears that Russia could be preparing an escalation against one of the countries in the region, after Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk and foreign minister Radosław Sikorski issued similar warnings.
Key events
Ukraine signs deals on access to EU defence programmes, €300m funding, minister says
Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has said Ukraine signed agreements for access to EU defence programmes and €300m in EU funding this morning.
In a post on X, he said:
“Through the new BraveTech EU Ukraine Support Instrument, our companies can access €260M to scale up production and €35.3M for innovation grants – covering up to 100% of costs.
This is a true win-win. We are combining EU resources with our battlefield-tested tech to build a safer Europe.”
We will no doubt hear more about the details of the deal later today.
Food delivery riders union to go on strike across Italy amid concerns over health, income protections during heatwave
Lorenzo Tondo
Elsewhere, unions representing riders working for food delivery companies Glovo and Deliveroo will strike across several Italian cities, including Milan, Bologna and Florence, on Wednesday, demanding stronger health protections and income guarantees as another intense heatwave grips the country.
In Florence, riders will walk out from 5pm to 10pm, calling for fairer pay, stronger labour protections and employee contracts similar to the model adopted by Just Eat. They say soaring temperatures are making their work increasingly unsafe.
Authorities in some areas, including Milan, have temporarily suspended food deliveries during the hottest hours of the day.
“We are asking Glovo, Deliveroo and the prefect of Milan for tangible solutions for workers: measures that protect their health without forcing them to lose wages,” said Andrea Bacchin of the Nidil-Cgil trade union.
The strike comes a day before a meeting at Italy’s labour ministry, where unions will press for social safety nets for delivery workers.
Nidil-Cgil said heatwaves such as the current one are becoming more frequent because of the climate crisis.
“Those who cycle through our cities must not be forced to bear the cost of climate change … If delivery apps are suspended for safety reasons, companies must guarantee workers’ incomes. Halting deliveries cannot mean losing wages.”
Italy is in the grip of another severe heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach 42C in parts of the south.
Serbia's Vucić and other southeastern leaders in Kyiv for summit with Ukraine
Serbia’s Vucić is in Kyiv (9:42) to take part in the fifth Southeastern Europe – Ukraine summit later today, which was held in Albania’s Tirana and Croatia’s Dubrovnik in previous years.
He even posted a short video of his trip to Ukraine on his Instagram.
According to Ukrainian media, Albania’s president Bajram Begaj, Bulgaria’s foreign minister Velislava Petrova, Croatia’s president Andrej Plenković, Moldova’s president Maia Sandu, Romania’s president Nicușor Dan and Slovenia’s prime minister Janez Janša are all also expected to attend, alongside senior ministers from North Macedonia and Montenegro.
Sandu, Plenković and Dan are already there, judging from pictures posted by Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.
The minister said that the summit will focus on “reaffirming our partnership and cooperation on the path to the EU.”
“In focus: joint work to strengthen Europe, multilateral political interaction, and strengthening security and defence cooperation, among other topics.”
Twelve foreign nationals killed in wildfires in southern Spain
Nadeem Badshah
In other news, seven Britons are among 12 foreign nationals killed in wildfires in southern Spain, authorities said.
Officials said 12 of the 13 victims were foreign nationals after completing postmortem examinations after the fires that swept through Andalusia.
Seven were from the UK, three from Belgium and one each from France and the US. The last victim was a Spanish citizen.
“The 13 people who died are eight women and five men, all adults,” the public body responsible for identifying the victims added.
Lithuania warns Russia could be planning 'targeted' attacks on critical infrastructure
Meanwhile, Lithuania’s president Gitanas Nausėda warned that Russia could be planning attacks on infrastructure, with security around energy and transport sites to be tightened as a precaution.
Speaking with BNS news agency, Nausėda appeared to confirm growing concerns, reported in the Guardian too, that Russia could be looking to escalate against one of the Baltic countries or Poland.
He said that Lithuanian intelligence services picked up “signals” of a potential provocation, but “they do not identify a specific place or time, because that is simply impossible to determine,” LRT reported.
“I cannot deny that we have such information and that it concerns kinetic operations – not on a large scale, but targeted kinetic operations that are very likely to be directed against critical infrastructure.”
He added:
“Anything that could stop these facilities from functioning is important because they matter not only in themselves but also because they ensure the functioning of the entire system, particularly our synchronisation with the continental European electricity grid.”
Nausėda’s comments are the latest to come from central and eastern Europe amid fears that Russia could be preparing an escalation against one of the countries in the region, after Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk and foreign minister Radosław Sikorski issued similar warnings.
Warren Murray
Here is your daily briefing on Ukraine from Warren Murray:
Morning opening: How to help Ukraine?
Jakub Krupa
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is in Kyiv today with plans to announce “new initiatives to integrate our defence industries,” a day after both European and Ukrainian armies were involved in the Bastille Day parade in Paris.
“It’s a special moment. Ukraine has built a strong military momentum. The tide is turning,” she said.
Overnight, Ukrainian drones hit 20 Russian vessels in Black Sea, Ukraine said, while Russia targeted Ukrainian ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk.
Serbia’s controversial and Moscow-friendly president Aleksander Vucić is also in Kyiv. On Instagram, he said he travelled “all afternoon and night” via Moldova and central Ukraine.
Back in Brussels, far away from official visits, EU ambassadors will be trying to work out the details of the 21st sanctions package for Russia, which was meant to be adopted on Monday.
Some countries are still not sure about some of the proposed measures, including a proposed price cap on Russian oil.
Let’s see if they can make good progress this morning. I will bring you all the latest here.
We will also hear from Germany’s Friedrich Merz later today, as he is set to give his summer press conference as he desperately tries to improve the ratings of his government. I will keep an eye on that for you.
It’s Wednesday, 15 July 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
