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By using our site you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy As airlines and lessors face ongoing maintenance capacity shortages has launched new MRO operations at Siauliai International Airport (SQQ) The global aircraft fleet is projected to grow by 28% over the next decade while maintenance slot shortages and supply chain constraints continue to challenge operators Airhub Aviation is adding much-needed MRO capacity in Eastern Europe “As the global fleet matures and stays in service longer maintenance needs are evolving beyond scheduled checks and operators are turning to MRO facilities for additional work such as overhauls,” said Oleg Novak we see a growing demand for flexible MRO solutions that go beyond mandatory maintenance we are adding MRO capacity in Lithuania.” Airhub Aviation is the only provider in the region to offer new MRO capacity The facility enhances Airhub Aviation’s ability to handle aircraft checks and (re)deliveries aligning with its strategy to support its owned fleet as well as partner airlines and lessors “With aircraft replacement cycles extending and mid-life aircraft in high demand efficient transitions and technical support are more critical than ever Our MRO facility allows us to better serve our clients by integrating maintenance into our broader asset management expertise,” Novak added Airhub Aviation’s first MRO season was highly successful including seven heavy checks on A320ceo aircraft and oversees component repair management for over 100 customers Its client base includes World Star Aviation “With the global fleet aging and quick replacements not always possible the demand for comprehensive maintenance services is rising Our facility in Lithuania enables airlines and lessors to prepare aircraft for sale or their next mission with minimal downtime and engine swaps—all under one roof,” Novak said This expansion positions Airhub Aviation as a key player in extending aircraft lifespan and supporting the evolving needs of the aviation industry Located in Northern–Eastern Europe, Siauliai International Airport (SQQ) offers strategic advantages of one of the most cost effective sites in Europe. The airport features two of the longest runways in the region (3.5 km each) and operates as a dual-use civilian and NATO military facility, ensuring 24/7 access and high-security infrastructure. “Our presence in Lithuania strengthens our ability to support fleet operators across Europe and beyond,” said Novak. “With well-developed transport links and proximity to major airline hubs, SQQ is an ideal location for aviation asset management and maintenance operations.” 12 Apr 2025 13:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}FA Siauliai won 2–0 over Zalgiris Vilnius on Sat Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are FA Siauliai 2 win(s) Haven't kept a clean sheet in 16 matches Have scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches Zalgiris Vilnius haven't lost to FA Siauliai in their last 7 meetings (4W Who won between FA Siauliai and Zalgiris Vilnius on Sat 12 Apr 2025 13:00:00 GMT?FA Siauliai won 2–0 over Zalgiris Vilnius on Sat 12 Apr 2025 13:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 9 goals in their last 5 matches FA Siauliai is playing home against Zalgiris Vilnius on Sat Four Romanian F-16 fighter jets landed in Šiauliai to assume NATO’s Air Policing duties from the French and Italian detachments The mission marks a continuation of NATO’s presence in the Baltic region Approximately 100 Romanian military personnel have also deployed to support the operation joining forces with a detachment of Polish F-16s The dual deployment at Šiauliai offers NATO increased operational flexibility in the region A handover ceremony took place on 31 March attended by Lieutenant General Thorsten Poschwatta Commander of the Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem This event marked the official transition of responsibility to the Romanian and Polish teams stated: “The Carpathian Vipers Detachment of the Romanian Air Force is executing enhanced Air Policing missions in Lithuania from April to July 2025 Our mission is clear: to safeguard the security and integrity of Baltic airspace.” He added: “Operating under NATO command and in close cooperation with our Polish and Portuguese allies we stand as a testament to allied unity and unwavering commitment to peace and collective defence.” This deployment is Romania’s third leading NATO’s mission from Šiauliai following earlier contributions in 2007 and 2023 Romania’s expanding F-16 fleet will continue to grow throughout 2025 with plans to establish two new squadrons of the advanced multirole aircraft This aligns with NATO’s broader strategic aims and reflects Romania’s long-term investment in regional security NATO’s Air Policing remains a core element of the Alliance’s collective defence strategy protecting member states without their own air defence capabilities The Romanian and Polish fighter presence in Lithuania demonstrates NATO’s readiness and unity in facing any potential threat to its airspace Cookie Policy Copyright © 2025 Defence Industry Europe | mady by: geekon.eu We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns The idea to commemorate the American one-cent coin in Lithuania’s fourth biggest town was conceived by industrial designer Vilius Puronas He was looking through an interwar encyclopaedia and came across a story about Vytautas Baranauskas who designed the coin with a profile of Abraham Lincoln “And so I wanted to pay tribute to my little Lithuania especially since it is connected to Šiauliai,” says Puronas The 1.45m bronze coin and the stainless steel C-shaped structure that holds it were designed eight years ago together with the sculptor Vytautas Tallat-Kelpša at the time another work won the competition announced by the City of Šiauliai and One Cent had to wait to be put on display which entered the Lithuanian Book of Records as the largest replica of a coin stood for a long time on the territory of one Šiauliai company The sculpture finally found a place in the Library Courtyard of the VUŠA says that the official unveiling has not yet taken place This is expected to happen in February when the Cent Room on the second floor of the library celebrates its 10th anniversary The Cent Room was also conceived by Puronas and is a popular tourist attraction in Šiauliai The walls and furniture of the room are covered with 157,130 different Lithuanian coins “The location of the sculpture One Cent was chosen so that it could be seen through the window of the Cent Room,” says Bilbokaitė Brenner left his homeland at the age of 19 He studied art in the United States and later became known for his medals The idea of using one of Brenner’s relief portraits for a coin design was suggested in 1908 by then US President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) He saw the bas-relief of US President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) hanging in the studio and suggested that it be transferred to the coin on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the politician’s birth Brenner has created more than 120 works in his career but the one-cent coin is by far his best-known design NASA scientists exploring the Red Planet used the coin to calibrate the lenses of the Curiosity rover’s cameras Puronas is an avid collector of one-cent American coins and has all the specimens minted over 115 years He is planning to donate his collection to the Cent Room so that everyone can see the many iterations of the design by an artist from Šiauliai Four Polish F-16 fighter jets have arrived at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania taking over the NATO Air Policing mission from the French and Italian detachments They will conduct the mission alongside the Romanian Air Force until July 2025 Poland has a longstanding role in the Baltic Air Policing (BAP) effort having first participated in the mission in 2006 This deployment reinforces NATO’s continuous commitment to securing the airspace over the Baltic region The handover ceremony took place on 31 March 2025 at Šiauliai and was attended by senior NATO officials including Lieutenant General Thorsten Poschwatta “Air Policing demonstrates NATO’s unity and resolve in protecting Allied airspace,” he said NATO Air Policing is a routine peacetime operation that spans all European Allies with command managed by Allied Air Command and oversight by Combined Air Operations Centres in Uedem The mission ensures quick-response interceptor coverage in regions lacking sufficient national air defence Seventeen NATO nations have contributed to this mission so far highlighting a shared commitment to security and regional cooperation The BAP effort showcases how the Alliance leverages collective resources to maintain readiness and cohesion Edita Varnelienė has been making dolls for fifteen years now not all doll ideas turned out how she intended and it took several years to perfect her skills They were very much loved and called darlings Then we needed dragons for the Year of the Dragon,” says the dollmaker The artist says she has lost count of how many dolls she has made The “darlings” have been her most popular creations They are easier to make because you don’t have to make any fingers separately They are cute and playful,” says Varnelienė The dolls are usually made of lightweight air-drying modelling clay It usually takes several weeks to make one doll because then the dolls are lighter and I don’t need as much clay And the papier-mâché technology gives strength,” says the dollmaker Making a doll requires mastery of several different crafts says Varnelienė: she has to be a good jeweller “I’m like a sculptor because my dolls can be seen from all sides I want the doll to be sculptural on all sides,” she says In the dozen years she has been working as a dollmaker she has received many different commissions But she says she has never made dolls that look like specific real people It’s more interesting to do a stylised one rather than replicating a real person,” says Varnelienė Some of her dolls are characters from fairy tales They are exhibited in one of Šiauliai public libraries She says that these characters have an important mission – to encourage children to read books “My latest idea was the characters from Hoffmann’s tales Although many people are fascinated by her creations the craft of dollmaking is hardly popular in the country It requires a lot of diligence and many hours of work You have to order supplies because there aren’t many in shops,” says Varnelienė Dollmaking is much more popular in other countries even Latvia holds regular doll exhibitions Residents of Šiauliai district are cleaning up and recovering after the tornado on Saturday night which destroyed several houses and outbuildings A family from the village of Meškiškės in the Šiauliai region said that Saturday night was a horror from which they are still recovering The tornado destroyed their house in seconds The mother said that she and her children barely managed to shelter in the gazebo They suffered minor injuries from broken glass and falling furniture “I grabbed the children to hold them and when it started I got hit on the head myself I don’t know what’s going to happen,” the woman told LRT TV everything started flying around the gazebo It was a matter of seconds – two seconds and there was nothing,” she recalled The tornado devastated several neighbouring villages in the Šiauliai district with the inhabitants of Einoraičiai being the worst hit roofs were blown off and cars were badly damaged villagers were cleaning up after the stormy night A farmer and his workers were collecting debris from a grain field the local authorities were preparing to declare a state of emergency “We will bring containers to collect the debris It has been agreed that they will sort the asbestos slates Tomorrow the emergency operations centre is convened but we will declare an emergency and I think people won’t be able to do without the help of the municipality.” Česlovas Greičius with summers becoming increasingly stormier tornadoes are likely to become more frequent in the country,” explained Simona Dalinkevičiūtė summer tornadoes have already become a regular occurrence Read the full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2318697/tornado-ravages-several-villages-in-northern-lithuania-leaves-family-homeless Also read: Week in Lithuania | Nausėda sworn in for second term as Lithuanian president, Government okays new training areas Follow us on Facebook and X According to the Prosecutor General’s Office two Spanish nationals arrived in Lithuania in September this year with the intention of setting fire to the production facilities of a private company in Šiauliai as well as to equipment and objects outside “The suspects neither succeeded in carrying out this criminal plan nor in hiding from law enforcement,” the report says where they were detained by officers of the Latvian State Security Service these suspects were handed over to Lithuania on the basis of European arrest warrants issued in Lithuania The suspects are currently in custody and the pre-trial investigation is continuing,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said the company in question is TVC Solutions which installs mobile TV and radio stations and does not produce any military equipment said he found out about the possible attack in September when he was called to the police to provide evidence the police have opened a pre-trial investigation into possible damage and we never came back to this issue again,” Dirmeika told LRT TV The pre-trial investigation is being overseen by the Prosecutor General’s Office and conducted by the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau Speaking to the Italian troops stationed in Lithuania Meloni thanked them for their service and wished them a happy holiday season most people are busy preparing Christmas lunches it might feel even worse to know that you are not doing your job here,” Meloni said you are providing your families with the security and peace that makes them proud when they sit down at the Christmas table.” “You may not see your children unwrapping their Christmas presents and I am sure your children will be proud of you Thank you and have a Merry Christmas,” the Italian prime minister added in her greetings the NATO air policing mission in Šiauliai was taken over by Italian forces patrolling the alliance’s airspace with Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets The list of positions is very long and we are looking to fill all of them,” said Karolis Grigalius which already employs around 50 people and produces windows for the US market it will need to recruit some 500 new workers another similarly-sized firm that manufactures lighting fixtures is trying to find enough staff to work two shifts qualified specialists are nowhere to be found all over the world we have this problem,” said Unal Kont Around 200 companies participated in the annual survey of employers in Šiauliai District this year Two-thirds of them do not intend to increase production volumes while one in seven plan to reduce their activities one in two employers faces a shortage of skilled workers “Disruption may result in not selling as much as we could produce and sell,” said Vytis Lembutis President of the Šiauliai Chamber of Commerce “We also do not export as much as we could we need to look for new investments in technology that could replace the shortage of skilled workers.” Šiauliai is looking for as many as 114 different professions A wide range of financial support is available for highly qualified professionals “Highly qualified professionals who get a job in Šiauliai can receive a one-off payment of 6,000 euros,” according to Šiauliai Deputy Mayor Justinas Švėgžda every young family arriving in Šiauliai will also be eligible for support to buy their first home.” Although the birth rate in Šiauliai is the lowest in a decade the local authorities say the population is growing This is due to newcomers from non-EU countries the work culture is different and the attitude to work is different,” said Grigalius manufacturing companies in Lithuania have recruited over 5,000 workers from outside the EU around 15,000 foreigners from 76 countries currently work in Lithuania’s manufacturing companies Tęsdami naršymą sutinkate su būtinaisiais slapukais Taip pat galite priimti papildomus slapukus Savo sutikimą galite bet kada atšaukti pakeisdami savo interneto naršyklės nustatymus ir ištrindami išsaugotus slapukus The origins of the history of the city of Šiauliai go back to September 22 1236 - the day when the legendary Battle of the Sun took place near present-day Šiauliai in which the Žemaitsi defeated the army of the Order of the Swordsmen is considered the beginning of the history not only of Lithuania which emerged as an important commercial and cultural center has since become an irreplaceable part of Lithuanian history The birthday celebration of the city of Šiauliai was held for the first time in 1986 to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the city's founding The whole city got involved in the organization of Šiauliai Days that time: trading companies decorated shop windows factories prepared historical compositions new highlights of the holiday appeared: from 2000 the essential tradition of the holiday was established - the announcement of an honorary citizen of the city of Šiauliai the city's birthday was given a lot of charm by the festive processions which were always changing and intriguing every year - a motorized convoy joined collectors of old cars willingly participate in all of them the city's birthday celebration has been held every year - on the second weekend of September the city of Šiauliai comes alive with bright colors "Why don't we organize a celebration on the actual day of the birthday?" The answer lies in nature itself when the sun tends to hide behind the clouds and the wind reminds us of the approaching cold it becomes less pleasant to celebrate outdoors so we want to welcome it with bright days and warm hearts" says the director of the Šiauliai Cultural Center residents of Šiauliai will remember their roots and together think about creating a bright future The director of the Šiauliai Cultural Center history and traditions are important when organizing a city festival but also what we do with this information for the growth of the city The harmony of traditions and modernity is reflected not only in the planned events but also in the image of Šiauliai Days 788 In the image created by Šiauliai Cultural Center designer Vilmantas Dambrauskas the changes of which were inspired by the centenary Lithuanian Song Festival the traditional city colors - yellow and black - are perfectly recognizable and nine circles with ornaments symbolize the wisdom and connection with nature of our ancestors - the Balts Each circle hides within itself a special sign - the sun fire and others that remind us of our origin and identity "Šiauliai is a city that is constantly changing and improving The image of the celebration had to reflect this change and at the same time maintain a connection with the city's traditions The Lithuanian and Baltic symbols of the sun and light were used to create the new image of the Šiauliai city birthday celebration The thing that unites into the symbol of our city The organizers reveal that there will be more interesting things for the people of Šiauliai and the guests of the city during the festival which has already managed to become a cozy tradition If in previous years miracles were created in Dainai Park this time the magic moves to the green Zubova Park inviting you to discover new secrets of the city The organizers are intrigued that the residents of Šiauliai and the city's guests will be surprised by the abundance of "Šiaulių dienos 788" events on September 6-7: the boulevard will attract the curious to the commotion of festive shopping various city institutions will open their doors to visitors with exhibitions listen to serious music in Resurrection Square admire the amateur art festival "Rudens mozaika" immerse yourself in the artistic vision festival "Magiškas parkas" which is moving to the city center this year join the traditional festive procession and motorized column parade enjoy surprises and other events given by sponsors Please note that traffic will be restricted in the city From September 6 7 o'clock until September 7 24 hours traffic is closed on Varpo st From September 6 7 o'clock until September 8 24 hours traffic is closed to the parking lot at Pisikelilos a. the entrance to bus and car parking lots in front of Šiauliai State College is closed the entrance to the parking lot at the square near the Šiauliai City Municipality is closed The festival organizer Šiauliai Cultural Center and the organizer Šiauliai City Municipality would like to thank the patron of Šiauliai Days 788 UAB Nostrada the general sponsor AB MV Group Production Gubernijas Gyakry main information sponsor for Lithuanian National Radio and Television and information sponsors: media group "Etaplius" the Lithuanian regional news portal "Miesto naujienos" The information is provided by Edita Smindriūnaitė, Deputy Head of the Event Organization Department of the Šiauliai Culture Center, mobile. +370 656 13 886, e-mail [email protected] Photo gallery is HERE Phone: +370 41 595 800 E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_ff0295ec" Phone: +370 5 219 5035  E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_2733d29b"  Facebook  Instagram  Youtube VU Privacy Policy New challenges and inclusive education force teachers to deepen their knowledge To help them adapt to changing working conditions the International Scientific Conference "Teacher Education in the 21st Century: Changes and Perspectives" was organized This is the 15th conference edition organized by the Institute of Educational Sciences of the VU Šiauliai Academy the conference covers the most topical issues in education and helps educators to develop their competencies through practice the conference attracted a large number of participants and practitioners from different fields to share their theoretical knowledge and educational practices with colleagues and the academic community establishing new collaborative links and forming new teams for international activities "The conference is attended by many guests not only from Lithuania but also from abroad We were very keen for teachers to hear the experience of high-level foreign researchers and I hope they can apply what they have learned in practice Then our education system will also progress forward" More than 200 participants took part in the international scientific conference has been held since 2002 and is one of the most anticipated events for educators we have attracted much attention from educators The Institute of Educational Studies has been hosting the conference since the beginning of the conference and researchers are working in two priority areas of research - promotion of an inclusive society by socio-educational means and educational processes of education," said Professor Daiva Malinauskienė Director of the Institute of Educational Studies of the VU Šiauliai Academy The conference was translated into Lithuanian and sign languages for the convenience of the participants E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_ad2225bb" E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_d847b6db" Lithuania’s fourth biggest town in the north of the country have received a letter from the Migration Department saying that they must leave the country within 14 days or else they will be deported I don’t know what to do,” says Thi Phuong Dung Le The two cousins also ran a beauty salon in Vilnius but had it closed last spring due to financial difficulties Not employing any locals in their businesses is the reason why Vietnamese businesswomen are now facing deportation “The most important thing is that since March we no longer have Lithuanians working here we are trying to recover from the losses we suffered in the Vilnius beauty salon,” says Ngoc Anh Thu Vu The cousins say they had plans to set up a small shop in Šiauliai to employ Lithuanians But they have to leave Lithuania next week they haven’t even allowed us to make changes but we still have to leave the country,” says Ngoc Anh Thu Vu People in Šiauliai support the Vietnamese and even started collecting signatures under a petition “I don’t think it’s fair to treat immigrants who are sincerely working,” says a woman from Šiauliai says the rule is that foreigners who wish to do business in Lithuania must employ at least two Lithuanians or residents of other EU countries The Vietnamese business has not been observing this rule for the last eight months “When the Migration Department is informed [about difficulties to meet the rule] and if the foreigner shows their business plan that they are having a hard time right now but will employ [Lithuanians] shortly [...] shows evidence that they are making efforts to meet the requirements then the Migration Department cooperates,” Gudzinskaitė insists If the Vietnamese women do not leave Lithuania by December 4 Their attorney says that the Migration Department is violating their freedom and right to integration “We must not apply the law mechanically and formally,” says the lawyer is that even if Thi Phuong Dung Le and Ngoc Anh Thu Vu appeal the Migration Department’s decision and can prove their case they are still required to leave Lithuania The lawyer will ask the court to allow Vietnamese women to stay in Lithuania while the appeal is being examined Three people have been detained and An international search has been launched to find the rest of the suspects the police chief said during the annual presentation of police activities on Thursday “And one more incident that I would like to mention is another hybrid attack against Lithuania which is an attempt to burn down support to Ukraine in Šiauliai some radar stations for Ukraine,” the commissioner general said “We understand that a group of persons received an order to set it on fire it was only thanks to the excellent cooperation with the intelligence community that those persons were identified those acts were prevented and today three persons plus a number of persons are now wanted internationally,” Paulauskas said The Prosecutor General’s Office has not yet confirmed this information when approached by BNS The prosecution service reported in November that two Spanish citizens had been detained in connection with a suspected “terrorist attack” in Šiauliai LNK News reported that the Spaniards may have been hired by Russian intelligence Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė told journalists that the law enforcement authorities in Lithuania were conducting several pre-trial investigations into suspected sabotage operations organized by members of the Arqus Alliance postgraduate and PhD students from Lithuania The workshop featured open lectures where experienced scientists shared the latest research results on bioaerosols and scientific progress representatives of the Academy of VU Šiauliai also moderated individual sessions sharing their experience and insights into bioaerosol research The lectures will be made available to the public through the Arqus Alliance's open-access channels promoting science's popularisation and knowledge dissemination E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_427f9f0b" E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_6d9f9a95" E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_4ae8114b" E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_8fe9256d" LRT.lt sat down with Lieutenant Colonel José Diaz-Kimba, the lead pilot of the Portuguese rotation of the NATO air policing mission, to speak about his career, the job of guarding the airspace above Lithuania, as well as the famous F-16 jet. How long have you been a pilot and why did you choose this career? I joined the Air Force in 1998. At the Portuguese Air Force Academy, the course lasts four years, after which cadets join a flying school in a training squadron to learn how to become a pilot. Of those who complete pilot training, some go on to fly fighter planes, some transport aircraft and others fly helicopters. When I started flying fighter aircraft and taking part in missions, there was a rush of adrenaline because this kind of machine, whether we want it or not, gives us an adrenaline rush inside. As I got older, I realised that there was a greater motivation for all of this – that by doing this work we are making a legitimate contribution to peace in Europe, in our own and other countries where we operate. For me, that is the motivation. I feel driven to do something that creates a better future for my children, someone else’s children, and all of us. How long have Portuguese troops been in Lithuania? We were first deployed here in late 2007. Since then, we have been deployed here, in Šiauliai [airbase], seven times. What is working in Lithuania like? What has changed since 2007? I sense there have been important changes in Lithuania since 2007. I think the country has changed on all levels. In the beginning, everything was new and we were new, Lithuania was new to us, and the relationship was new. I was here in 2007 and I remember well the support of Lithuania and how much you worked at that time to meet our requests. Being here now, in 2024, I can see that things have only improved. The people at the Šiauliai Air Base are working hard, doing everything they can to support us. Every time we come here, we are welcomed with open arms because it is a friendly place, the faces are familiar, and we know the base. Being in Šiauliai is always a good experience. What is the process if you want to become a fighter pilot? Specifically for the Portuguese Air Force, we accept young cadets after a selection process. The selection process starts with a medical screening – they need to be physically strong. Before that, there is a psychological screening, which is psychological tests After the medical screening, there is a test for physical fitness. The last stage involves a couple of flights in a simple aircraft to confirm that the cadets have at least the minimum coordination to become pilots. From all those who pass these four stages, it is possible to choose who will join the Air Force Academy. Depending on grades and performance, we choose [...] the best of the best and then the four-year process at the academy begins. You mentioned the adrenaline rush of flying. I guess those are the words you would use to describe the feeling of piloting a fighter jet. What we do with the F-16 is demanding, from the physical level to the brain. It requires a lot of attention, we don't have a lot of space to think about things. It's strange to say, but when we're piloting an F-16, there's not much time to think about feelings because we're very focused on the mission, on what we need to do right. How long does it take you to fly 150 kilometres from Šiauliai to Klaipėda? It depends on how fast we're getting up to speed, but if we're in a hurry, we can fly in 3-4 minutes. Under normal conditions, it would take 10 minutes.Have you ever encountered a non-NATO fighter jet and escorted it away? Yes. It happens to the Portuguese Air Force here in the Baltics and quite often. But it has also happened in Portugal when we have similar air policing missions. There are non-NATO aircraft flying over international waters that need to be escorted. What does that escort process look like for a non-NATO aircraft? It depends on who we are escorting, but generally speaking, there is no communication via radio. This is the reason why NATO launches fighters to escort non-NATO fighters – because we do not talk to them. Is it a non-verbal indication that the aircraft is not in its territory? Yes and no. It is a non-verbal indication that NATO is here. But they are in international waters and, under international law, they have a right to be there. However, certain procedures have to be followed and, when those procedures are not followed, NATO can decide whether or not to release the aircraft to escort them. The real objective, of course, is security, because we do not know what these aircraft are doing, regardless of their country of origin. When it comes to the F-16 fighter jet, it is said to be indispensable in air combat. What makes this fighter so special? Well, I am a little biased because that is what I pilot. I think that the F-16 is a very important combat aircraft, and there are a couple of arguments to support that. First of all, the numbers. The number of F-16s is high, which means that their interoperability is also better because a battle involving two fighters is different from a battle involving 20 fighters. If you need to go into combat or carry out a mission with 20 jets, there is an advantage. Even in terms of logistics and maintenance, it is easier to have more fighters because they need more parts. There is also an advantage in functionality. The fighter is highly manoeuvrable and capable and, in terms of combat, whoever manoeuvres best will have the advantage. The other advantage that I see, although it is a bit of a paradox, is the age of the fighter – we know how it works, and there are no surprises. We are improving it and adding new capabilities all the time: new sensors, new weapons, new ways to communicate. Even though it is an old aircraft that we know very well, it is still a new fighter in terms of capability. Its operator and people that were together with him were transferred to Military Police "It was determined that the unmanned aerial vehicle and a phone connected to the controller were used for filming an advertisement The confiscated unmanned aerial vehicle and the phone will be returned to the owner upon inspection by Military Police and an administrative citation will be issued," the Armed Forces said in a statement Law stipulates that flying drones over military areas as well as in the restricted border area without having such right is punishable by a fine of EUR 200-400 A repeat offence is punishable by a fine of EUR 300-500 the infrastructure is meant for Duke Margiris Infantry Battalion and the 6th Territorial Unit of the Resurrection Military District of the National Defence Volunteer Force This marks the third infrastructure site of the Lithuanian Armed Forces of such proportions built since 1990 The Šiauliai campus has been equipped with administrative and special-purpose buildings: barracks The infrastructure also includes technical buildings There are parade and equipment grounds and parking lots including for electric cars and the disabled the Šiauliai campus comprises yet largest barracks and headquarters if compared to the campuses in Pajūris All three facilities can accommodate up to 2,400 military and civilian defence personnel in total The total values of the three campuses in terms of construction maintenance and services amounts to approximately 231 million euros Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas and Chief of Defence Valdemaras Rupšys arel attending the inauguration ceremony https://www.sa.vu.lt/en/news/1531-vu-siauliai-academy-students-win-a-solid-prize E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_d83ee7ca" E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_43ebc3ad" A family from the village of Meškiškė in Šiauliai District say what they experienced on Saturday night was a horror they are still recovering from A tornado devastated their house in a matter of seconds The mother says she barely had time to take shelter with her children in a gazebo They were slightly injured by breaking glass and falling furniture “I just grabbed the children to hold them and I got hit myself I don’t know how it’s going to be,” the woman told LRT TV everything here started flying around the gazebo It was a matter of seconds – two seconds and there was nothing left,” she recalled The tornado devastated several neighbouring villages in Šiauliai District and the inhabitants of Einoraičiai were the worst affected roofs were torn off and cars were badly damaged “The most important thing is that everyone is alive and the rest is life’s lessons,” said a resident of Einoraičiai “We went out into the yard and the cars were all smashed up I had just bought a car and it’s badly damaged,” said another woman A farmer and his workers collected building debris from a grain field Electricity supply had not been restored yet municipal authorities plan to declare an emergency “We will bring in containers to collect the debris It has been agreed that they will sort the asbestos slate the emergency operations centre is convening but we will declare an emergency and I think people will not be able to survive without the municipality’s help,” Česlovas Greičius “But we will have to appeal to the government for help because the situation is tragic,” he added the tornado is a localised but very dangerous phenomenon that can form in a matter of hours Wind speeds in a tornado can reach around 30-50m/s the increasing frequency of stormier summers it is likely that tornadoes in the country will become more frequent They are actually very rare in our country,” explained Simona Dalinkevičiūtė Summer tornadoes have already become a recurrent phenomenon there E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_c39d4efc" E-mail: emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_97fc7c3e" two people of Spanish nationality arrived in Lithuania with the intention of burning the production facilities and outdoor equipment used by a private company operating in Šiauliai at night The suspects failed to carry out this criminal plan and hide from law enforcement "Successful cooperation between different Lithuanian and Latvian authorities has resulted in the arrest of the suspects made by Latvian State Security Service officers The suspects were soon handed over to Lithuania on the basis of European arrest warrants issued in Lithuania The suspects are currently in custody and the pre-trial investigation continues," the Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday More details will follow when they are no longer likely to harm the ongoing pre-trial investigation Arie Shilansky lit one of six torches at the State Opening Ceremony of Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem in 2022 Arie Shilansky was born in 1928 in the town of Siauliai the Germans invaded and occupied Lithuania and Arie and his family were imprisoned there we lived a life of hunger and humiliation," Arie later recalled "I remember the horror of the public hanging of Bezalel Mazowiecki who tried to smuggle food and cigarettes." 'Run to the Frenkel factory!' We fled the ghetto The Jewish foreman of the factory quickly put us in a warehouse hid the door behind an iron cabinet and told me: 'There are fifteen young children here Make sure there is complete silence so that they do not discover you.' I told them stories in order to keep them quiet When people returned to the ghetto from work and found out that their children had been abducted Women tore their hair and banged their heads against the wall The cry that reverberated in the ghetto resonates to this day." the ghetto was evacuated and its prisoners sent west after several days of terrible overcrowding in a cattle car arrived at the Stutthof concentration camp in northeastern Poland I was separated from the family and left alone Everyone was shaved." Food was scarce and the prisoners were routinely beaten "Only people who were suitable for a task were taken to work so we would try to join the ranks of the adults We understood that whoever went to work would survive." The guards would take Arie out of the ranks of the workers and beat him severely as punishment for joining them Arie finally managed to join a group of workers who were transported to one of the sub-camps of Dachau in Germany SS men positioned themselves around us with machine guns He was taken to a hospital housed in the St A delegation of the Jewish Brigade arrived at the monastery We did not believe that there were Jews left in the world They promised that they would soon come again and take us to the Land of Israel the Brigade's soldiers transferred Arie to Italy he immigrated to Eretz Israel (Mandatory Palestine) and fought in the War of Independence six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren The Yad Vashem website had recently undergone a major upgrade The page you are looking for has apparently been moved We are therefore redirecting you to what we hope will be a useful landing page For any questions/clarifications/problems, please contact: webmaster@yadvashem.org.il “The next step will be to turn to the Culture Ministry to provide funds for this work,” the mayor told BNS on Wednesday “The Culture Ministry will include the necessary funds in next year’s budget the relocation of the soldiers’ remains should be carried out according to the law and not in haste It was on the initiative of the authorities of Šiauliai that the Lithuanian Seimas in June added burial sites to the list of public sites provided for in the Law on the Prohibition of the Promotion of Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes and Their Ideologies The law also stipulates that burial sites recognised as propagating totalitarian or authoritarian regimes and their ideologies could not be entitled to cultural heritage protection Visockas then turned to the Desovietisation Commission to determine whether the Soviet graves in the city’s centre were in violation of the law no one is going to run and start digging now The state has to be involved because this is not just a matter for Šiauliai or other cities – it is a matter for the state The law stipulates that the state pays the money it has to be earmarked in the budget,” the Šiauliai mayor said The remains of Soviet soldiers buried in city and town squares should be removed and reburied in accordance with international treaties the Desovietisation Commission decided on Wednesday after considering appeals from the local authorities of Šiauliai and Varėna the Soviets deliberately buried or reburied the remains of soldiers in central city and town squares to create a narrative of the “Great Patriotic War” The burial site in central Šiauliai near the cathedral is on the Cultural Heritage Register It states that 52 Soviet soldiers who died in World War Two are buried there 244 Soviet soldiers are buried in a square where a church used to stand 240 names of the fallen soldiers were engraved on new memorial plaques installed there