Lithuania closes airports and borders over mysterious balloon activity and Russian airspace violations
On Friday, October 24, Lithuania took a decisive step by temporarily shutting down its two main international airports in Vilnius and Kaunas, as well as closing border checkpoints with Belarus.
The move was triggered by the sighting of dozens of unusual balloons drifting in the sky above the country, causing widespread concern over security.
According to reports from Reuters and the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center, radars detected the flights of these balloons during the day.
Authorities responded by suspending air travel as a precautionary measure to prevent potential threats.
The restrictions at Vilnius and Kaunas airports are expected to remain in effect until 11 p.m.
on the same day, while border crossings with Belarus will stay closed until noon on Sunday.
In response to this incident, Poland reported discovering a tunnel along the border, likely used for smuggling goods.
Lithuanian government officials plan to convene the National Security Commission next week to assess further actions.
Foreign Minister Inga Ruginiene stated that the government would consider short-term measures aimed at tackling the smuggling activities facilitated by the Lukashenko regime, which allows traffickers to operate with impunity.
Lithuanian authorities believe the balloons are mostly used for the illegal transportation of cigarettes from Belarus, and they criticize Minsk for inaction and complicity in these practices.
Additionally, on October 23, Lithuanian military air forces recorded a violation of the national border by Russian military aircraft, including a Su-30 fighter jet and an Ilyushin Il-78 refueling plane, which entered approximately 700 meters into Lithuanian airspace and remained there for about 18 seconds.