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Authorities have decided to shoot down balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, government officials confirmed.

This action responds after unauthorized aerial incursions necessitated airport closures multiple times over the past week, affecting holiday travel, with the government also closing cross-border movement during each incident.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

According to official declarations, "authorities will not hesitate to employ the strictest possible measures during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

National Security Actions

Detailing the measures during a briefing, Ruginiene said the army was taking "complete operational protocols" to intercept unauthorized devices.

About the border closure, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues between the two countries, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition here, and we will take all the strictest measures to prevent similar incidents," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners about the security challenges presented while potentially considering invocation of the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation about national security issues, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

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, per transportation authority data.

In recent weeks, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, per national security agency reports.

These incidents continue previous patterns: as of 6 October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders from Belarus this year, according to official statements, while 966 were recorded last year.

Regional Situation

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, with unauthorized drone observations, in recent weeks.