🔗 Share this article

Lithuania will begin to eliminate helium balloons carrying illicit goods from Belarus, the country's leader announced.

The measure comes after unauthorized aerial incursions disrupted air traffic repeatedly in recent days, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "authorities will not hesitate to employ the strictest possible measures against airspace violations."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, officials stated defense units were executing "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

About the border closure, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues across the international border, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to halt these operations," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Official communications saw no quick answer from the neighboring government.

Alliance Coordination

Authorities will discuss with international allies over the threat posed from the balloons with possible discussions about implementing Nato's Article 4 - a protocol allowing member state consultation regarding security matters, particularly involving territorial protection - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns during holiday periods from balloon incidents from Belarus, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, according to Baltic News Service.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, per national security agency reports.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: by autumn measurements, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders across the frontier in recent months, an NCMC spokesman said, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

International Perspective

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