A drone has crashed in the Utena district of northern Lithuania, with initial assessments suggesting it is of Ukrainian origin, the country’s national broadcaster LRT reported, citing authorities. 

The Lithuanian National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) said it received reports at around 19:00 local time on Sunday that a drone had been found crashed in a field near Samanė village.

At a press conference that evening, NKVC director Vilmantas Vitkauskas said the aircraft appeared to be a military drone, though he cautioned that further details were pending.

“It has crashed, but there are no signs of an explosion. Whether it carries a warhead or not is difficult to say at this stage,” LRT quoted Vitkauskas as saying, adding that more precise information would be available once a specialist team had returned from the scene.

Lithuanian military radar did not detect the drone earlier in the day, according to the armed forces. The incident was reported by local residents.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda warned warring parties this week against using Lithuanian territory for drone strikes, saying this would constitute a gross violation of sovereignty and international law.

In March, a Ukrainian military drone also crashed in Lithuania’s southeastern Varėna district near the Belarusian border, which authorities said had veered off course due to Russian electronic warfare measures. Similar incidents have become more frequent in the Baltic region in recent months.

Hezbollah reported conducting 339 military operations against Israeli troops from April 16 to May 17, as a result of which 48 Israeli tanks were disabled.

“In response to the enemy’s violations of the ceasefire, the Islamic resistance forces attacked 15 command posts, three barracks, two military bases, seven artillery positions, and one helipad,” the Lebanese organization said in a statement on social media.

It added that over the past month, 48 tanks, 18 armored personnel carriers, and 12 off-road vehicles have been completely or partially destroyed after being hit by guided missiles or kamikaze drones.

G7 finance ministers acknowledged mounting concern over public debt and bond market volatility as they met in Paris on Monday in the wake of a bond market selloff triggered ‌by fears over inflation risks from the Iran war, Reuters reported.

Ministers are set to discuss the economic fallout from the conflict and volatility on global bond markets, which are of particular concern to Japan, as they also seek common ground on tackling economic tensions and global imbalances, according to Reuters.

Bonds from Tokyo to New York extended losses on Monday, with investors betting on central bank rate hikes over worries that rising energy prices could stoke inflation.

Asked if bond markets were collapsing, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said: “They’re undergoing a correction – I wouldn’t say they’re collapsing.”

“We are no longer in a period where public debt is not a subject,” he told reporters as he arrived at the meeting.

The meeting, which will also be attended by representatives from ⁠G7 central banks, will tackle how countries can co-ordinate their response to shocks such as inflation through temporary, targeted and reversible measures, the French finance ministry said.

German central bank head Joachim Nagel said that policymakers could do a lot to calm markets and give them positive momentum.

Asked on arrival if she was worried by the bond selloff, European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde told reporters: “I always worry, that’s my job.”

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said she was instructed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “minimize various risks”, when asked about the rise in long-term interest rates, without elaborating.

The G7 finance ministers will try to find common ground on tackling global economic tensions and coordinating critical raw material supplies.

“Don’t put in place measures that would make the situation worse,” International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said as she arrived for the meeting.

Finance ministers will be looking for an update on U.S.-China relations following the Trump-Xi summit and the latest U.S. efforts to re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the trip to China had been very successful, adding that he would urge the G7 to follow sanctions to target Iran’s “war machine”.

Reuters also reported that Syria would take part in a closed-door session with G7 finance ministers and central bank governors in Paris on Monday.

The two-day G7 finance chiefs’ meeting is dominated by global economic imbalances, trade tensions and the fallout from conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Six suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention, and one has been placed under house arrest, for allegedly obstructing a campaign event of the Civil Contract Party in Lori Province.

The suspects are representatives of the Strong Armenia alliance, according to the Investigative Committee.

A total of 10 individuals were previously detained in connection with the incident. Authorities have requested that the suspects be remanded in custody; hearings for three individuals are still pending.

Supporters of the Strong Armenia alliance allegedly disrupted an election campaign event announced by the Civil Contract Party after learning its location in advance.

On May 16, they are said to have blocked a road with vehicles at the entrance to Norashen, obstructing campaign activities. On the same day in Metsavan, they reportedly played loud music and used violence against Civil Contract Party participants, further disrupting the event.

A criminal case was opened under Article 211(2)(5) for obstruction of campaigning committed by multiple individuals, and 10 people were detained.

At the time, the Civil Contract Party’s campaign in Lori Province was led by Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, who was officially on leave to campaign for the party.

The Armenia national team finished third in the team standings at the European SAMBO Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Armenian SAMBO athletes won a total of nine medals: two gold, three silver, and four bronze.

Russia finished first in the team standings, while Ukraine took second place.

The Inter Milan vs. Hellas Verona Serie A match marked Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s 900th appearance in a professional football career spanning nearly two decades.

Inter Milan midfielder and former Armenia captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan was named Player of the Match in the game that ended in a 1–1 draw.

Inter Milan had earlier clinched their 21st Italian Serie A title after securing a victory over Parma.

Mkhitaryan’s 900 appearances span Pyunik, Metalurh Donetsk, Shakhtar Donetsk, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Arsenal, Roma, and Inter Milan, as well as the Armenian national team.

Across his career, the 37-year-old has collected 28 major trophies, including league titles in Armenia, Ukraine, and Italy, as well as the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Community Shield, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana.

An Iranian national has been placed under arrest by Armenian law enforcement agencies after customs agents discovered nearly 30 kilos of hashish hidden in his cargo truck, which was transiting through Armenia from the Islamic Republic and bound for Georgia.

The State Revenue Committee said in a press release that the truck driven by the Iranian citizen, identified only by initials J. Sh., was stopped at Armenia’s Agarak border checkpoint while entering the country, officially declared as carrying construction tiles, with Georgia listed as the final destination.

During routine customs procedures, an initial X-ray inspection did not reveal any irregularities.

However, further checks using K9 units indicated the possible presence of narcotics in the trailer. The vehicle was then sent for a more detailed inspection at a customs facility, where authorities dismantled parts of the trailer.

The search revealed specially constructed hidden compartments containing approximately 28 kilograms of hashish, divided into 111 separate packages.

The Iranian citizen was detained and transferred to the Syunik Regional Investigative Department.

A criminal case has been initiated, and an investigation is underway to clarify all the circumstances of the case, as well as any possible accomplices and organizers.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other senior members of the Civil Contract party continued campaigning across Yerevan ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan, who is officially on leave for the campaign period, spoke to residents in the Arabkir district about statehood, independence, as well as achievements in the science sector.

He stressed that Armenia, having gone through difficult trials, has managed to gain independent statehood.

“Yes, we have gone through war, we have had casualties, but by going through all of that, we have gained a state and independence,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the families of fallen servicemen should understand that their children died for the preservation of Armenia’s statehood.

“Today, every parent of a fallen soldier should know that their son, their child, has fallen so that their state may endure, so that their state may become independent, become a real state, become prosperous, become free, become happy,” Pashinyan noted.

Speaking about achievements in science, he highlighted his government’s increased funding.

“Since 2018, funding for science in Armenia has increased threefold,” the Prime Minister said.

According to Pashinyan, scientific institutions have been supplied with equipment funded by the state budget that had never previously been available in Armenia.

He emphasized that a supercomputer acquired through state funding is now operating at Yerevan State University.

Nineteen political forces are running in the June 7 parliamentary election.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys will arrive in Armenia on May 19 on an official visit, the foreign ministry announced on Monday.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will hold a meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart, followed by a joint press conference.

AraratBank press release 

Fraudsters are continuously changing and improving their methods, using new schemes to steal money.

Although it is impossible to provide a complete and comprehensive description of all types of fraud due to their evolving nature, customers can visit the official website of AraratBank to learn about the most common fraud schemes identified recently. Through these schemes, fraudsters may may gain access to customers’ devices and carry out various actions, including applying for loans, transferring funds, blocking devices and performing other actions.

The article also includes a number of security rules and recommendations aimed at preventing card fraud.

Information on the most frequently encountered fraud cases in recent periods, together with key protective measures, is available on the Bank’s official website.

Scheme 1: Fraudsters call individuals, posing as representatives of a telecommunications company offering 5G internet services. They then request that users make certain adjustments on their mobile phones. As a result, the fraudsters gain remote access to the device and the applications installed on it, including banking apps.

Scheme 2: Fraudsters contact individuals through various communication channels and inform them that their mobile operator contract has expired and needs to be renewed.

To protect yourself from these two schemes:

Do not follow any instructions provided by unknown individuals. Do not provide remote access to your mobile device. Do not download suspicious applications or software. In case of any doubt, immediately contact the relevantg service provider or the bank.

Scheme 3: Fraudsters may use artificial intelligence to imitate people’s voice or create fake profiles on Viber, WhatsApp, or other platforms using photos of relatives or friends to send messages. Impersonating a trusted contact, they may request money transfers, personal and card details, or one-time passwords (OTP).

Recommendations:

Do not rely on a call or message based only on a photo or voice as proof of identity. Before transferring money or sharing any information, verify the request by contacting the person through another communication channel. Never share card details, passwords, or OTPs. Immediately stop communication and contact the relevant person or the bank in case of suspicious calls or messages.

Scheme 4: Fake pages appear on social media, posting promotional advertisements in the name of various companies. Please remain vigilant and avoid responding to these advertisements in any form.

Recommendations:

Do not share personal or bank card details; Do not click on unknown links; Use only official sources to obtain information.

Scheme 5: After posting a sales advertisement on a platform such as List.am, fraudsters may contact the seller while posing as potential buyers and deceive the customer into becoming a victim of fraud.

Customers should remain vigilant, as card fraud schemes become particularly active during periods of major discounts and promotional campaigns. To ensure the protection of card data and funds, and taking into account the increase in online transactions and fraud cases during such periods:

shop online only from trusted and verified websites. before making an online purchase, check reviews and feedback on the store, and make sure the site was registered at least a year ago. shop only from secure websites and make sure that the website uses “https://” and is trustworthy. verify that the website provides complete store contact information, including address, phone number, email address, and detailed information on shipping address and return policies. contact the store in advance when making major purchasing decisions and trust only reasonable discounts.

·         in the case of discounts and attractive offers, avoid clicking on suspicious links.

do not share your card password, CVV code, or OTPs. immediately end suspicious or unfamiliar phone calls and contact the Bank upon receiving suspicious messages.

·         pay attention to website address, as fraudsters often change one or two letters in the names of official websites.

Scheme 6. Recently, there has been an increase in fraudulent calls and messages impersonating banks, through which fraudsters attempt to obtain customers’ card and personal data by offering various prizes, rewards, or promotional offers.

Please remain vigilant and remember:

• The Bank never requests card details, PIN codes, CVV code, or one-time passwords.

If you receive suspicious calls, please contact your mobile operator or call AraratBank at +374 10 59 23 23.

AraratBank is regulated by the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia.