The Lithuanian government plans to eliminate contraband-carrying balloons, government leader states.

Authorities have decided to intercept and destroy aerial devices transporting cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This action responds after foreign objects crossing the border forced Vilnius Airport to close repeatedly in recent days, affecting holiday travel, while authorities suspended cross-border movement during each incident.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

According to official declarations, "authorities will not hesitate to employ maximum response protocols against airspace violations."

Official Measures

Detailing the measures during a briefing, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to eliminate aerial threats.

Concerning border measures, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel between the two countries, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, but no other movement will be allowed.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition here, and we will take all the strictest measures to prevent similar incidents," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Belarus.

Diplomatic Measures

Lithuania plans to consult its allies about the security challenges presented and may discuss activating the alliance's consultation mechanism - a provision enabling alliance discussion regarding security matters, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

Lithuanian airports were closed three times during holiday periods from balloon incidents originating from neighboring territory, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, based on regional media reports.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, per national security agency reports.

These incidents continue previous patterns: as of 6 October, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania from neighboring territory during current year, per government spokesperson comments, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

European Context

Other European airports - including in Copenhagen and Munich - experienced similar aerial disruptions, with unauthorized drone observations, in recent weeks.