Lithuania Implements Emergency Measures Amid Unusual Air Balloon Incursions from Belarus
On the night of Saturday, Lithuania faced a serious security crisis as the country responded to a mass incursion of dozens of helium weather balloons entering its airspace.
In response, the nation shut down its two largest airports—Vilnius and Kaunas—and closed border crossings with Belarus, a measure expected to last until noon on Sunday.
According to the Lithuanian Crisis Management Centre, radar detected dozens of balloons crossing the border on Friday.
Officially, Vilnius links these balloon activities to cigarette smuggling operations, purportedly conducted via these balloons.
However, Lithuanian authorities also implicate the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Vladimir Putin, accusing it of deliberately turning a blind eye and actively facilitating this illegal activity through provocation.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė announced that the National Security Commission would convene next week to assess and develop strategies to make these activities costly for smugglers and to exert pressure on Lukashenko’s government.
This situation follows previous closures of Vilnius Airport earlier in the week on Tuesday and October 5 due to similar incidents, as well as reports of Russian aircraft from Kaliningrad crossing Lithuanian airspace.
The ongoing crisis raises concerns over regional stability and national security.