Lithuania will destroy contraband-carrying balloons, PM warns.

Lithuania will begin to intercept and destroy balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This decision follows after unauthorized aerial incursions necessitated airport closures multiple times over the past week, with weekend disruptions, accompanied by temporary closures of frontier checkpoints during these events.

International border access continues restricted due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "our nation stands prepared to implement the strictest possible measures against airspace violations."

National Security Actions

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to eliminate aerial threats.

Regarding frontier restrictions, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access across the international border, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to Belarus and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated here, and we will take all the strictest measures to halt these operations," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

Authorities will discuss with international allies regarding the aerial device concerns with possible discussions about implementing Nato's Article 4 - a request for consultation by a Nato member country regarding security matters, specifically concerning defense matters - the Prime Minister concluded.

Travel Impacts

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns at the weekend due to weather balloons crossing the international border, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, according to Baltic News Service.

In recent weeks, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, according to emergency management officials.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, per government spokesperson comments, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

European Context

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - have also been affected by air incursions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, in recent weeks.