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Lithuania will begin to intercept and destroy balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, government officials confirmed.

This decision follows after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace disrupted air traffic on several occasions recently, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of cross-border movement during each incident.

International border access continues restricted following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "we are ready to take even the most severe actions during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Official Measures

Announcing the actions at a press conference, officials stated defense units were executing "complete operational protocols" to eliminate aerial threats.

Concerning border measures, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel for cross-border diplomatic missions, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"This represents our clear message to the neighboring nation and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to halt these operations," the Prime Minister emphasized.

There has been no immediate response from Minsk officials.

Diplomatic Measures

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners about the security challenges presented and may discuss activating Nato's Article 4 - a protocol allowing member state consultation regarding security matters, especially related to its security - she added.

Flight Cancellations

Lithuanian airports were closed three times at the weekend due to weather balloons crossing the international border, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, based on regional media reports.

In recent weeks, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, according to emergency management officials.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early October, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania from Belarus this year, per government spokesperson comments, while 966 were recorded last year.

Regional Situation

Other European airports - such as Scandinavian and German locations - faced comparable aviation security challenges, with unauthorized drone observations, during current period.