Lithuania will close its border with Belarus and intercept contraband smuggler balloons following repeated airspace breaches. Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė described the incidents as “hybrid attacks” by Minsk and confirmed that the border closure would be imposed “indefinitely”. She said the military would take “all measures”, including shooting down the balloons, in order to protect national security.
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Vilnius Airport was forced to suspend operations four times last week after weather balloons entered Lithuanian airspace, causing significant disruption. More than 170 flights were delayed or diverted, affecting almost 30,000 passengers, and several border crossings with Belarus were temporarily shut. While the helium-filled balloons are used by smugglers transporting illegal cigarettes, Lithuanian officials argue that Belarus has failed to prevent such activities.
Ms Ruginienė warned that the government may also consider invoking NATO’s Article 4, which calls for urgent security consultations. Belarus’s foreign ministry has condemned Lithuania’s decision as a “provocation”. Lithuania and other NATO border states have been on heightened alert following a series of drone, balloon and aircraft incursions linked to Russia and Belarus.
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The country shares a strategically sensitive border with Belarus close to Vilnius, and also borders Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave. On Thursday, Lithuanian authorities reported that two Russian military aircraft briefly entered its territory, prompting a formal complaint and a NATO response, although Moscow denied the incident. Foreign minister Kęstutis Budrys stressed that such airspace violations are part of “calculated provocations” aimed at testing NATO’s resolve.
