Lithuania will destroy smuggling balloons, PM warns.

The Baltic nation plans to shoot down aerial devices transporting cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, government officials confirmed.

This decision follows after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace necessitated airport closures repeatedly in recent days, including at the weekend, with the government also closing cross-border movement during each incident.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "we are ready to take even the most severe actions when our airspace is violated."

Official Measures

Detailing the measures during a briefing, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "all necessary measures" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel for cross-border diplomatic missions, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, but no other movement will be allowed.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to halt these operations," she said.

There has been no immediate response from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

Lithuania plans to consult its allies about the security challenges presented while potentially considering invocation of the alliance's consultation mechanism - a request for consultation by a Nato member country about national security issues, particularly involving territorial protection - officials noted.

Airport Disruptions

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns during holiday periods from balloon incidents from Belarus, impacting over hundred flights and thousands of travelers, according to Baltic News Service.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, per national security agency reports.

The phenomenon is not new: through early October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from Belarus this year, according to official statements, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

International Perspective

Other European airports - such as Scandinavian and German locations - have also been affected by air incursions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, during current period.