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Lithuania will begin to shoot down balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, the country's leader announced.

This action responds after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times over the past week, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of frontier checkpoints during these events.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

The government leader stated, "our nation stands prepared to implement even the most severe actions when our airspace is violated."

Government Response

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "all necessary measures" to intercept unauthorized devices.

Concerning border measures, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel between the two countries, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"Through these actions, we communicate to foreign authorities stating that asymmetric operations face opposition across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to stop such attacks," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Official communications saw no quick answer from the neighboring government.

Diplomatic Measures

Authorities will discuss with international allies regarding the aerial device concerns with possible discussions about implementing Nato's Article 4 - a protocol allowing member state consultation regarding security matters, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Airport Disruptions

Lithuanian airports were closed three times during holiday periods from balloon incidents crossing the international border, impacting over hundred flights and thousands of travelers, per transportation authority data.

In recent weeks, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, per national security agency reports.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, per government spokesperson comments, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

Regional Situation

Other European airports - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, including drone sightings, during current period.