🔗 Share this article

The Baltic nation plans to intercept and destroy helium balloons carrying contraband tobacco across the border, government officials confirmed.

This action responds after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close on several occasions recently, including at the weekend, with the government also closing frontier checkpoints during these events.

International border access continues restricted following repeated balloon incursions.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "we are ready to take the strictest possible measures when our airspace is violated."

National Security Actions

Detailing the measures during a briefing, Ruginiene said the army was taking "complete operational protocols" to eliminate aerial threats.

Regarding frontier restrictions, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues across the international border, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, but no other movement will be allowed.

"Through these actions, we communicate 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," she said.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from the neighboring government.

Alliance Coordination

Lithuania plans to consult its allies over the threat posed from the balloons and may discuss activating the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation on any issue of concern, especially related to its security - the Prime Minister concluded.

Flight Cancellations

National air facilities experienced triple closures during holiday periods from balloon incidents crossing the international border, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, according to Baltic News Service.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, per national security agency reports.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early October, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania across the frontier in recent months, per government spokesperson comments, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

European Context

International air travel hubs - including in Copenhagen and Munich - faced comparable aviation security challenges, including drone sightings, over past months.