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Lithuania will begin to shoot down helium balloons carrying cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, government officials confirmed.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border disrupted air traffic multiple times over the past week, affecting holiday travel, accompanied by temporary closures of cross-border movement during each incident.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "authorities will not hesitate to employ maximum response protocols during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, officials stated defense units were executing "complete operational protocols" 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, however general movement continues suspended.

"This represents our clear message to the neighboring nation stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Official communications saw no quick answer from the neighboring government.

International Consultation

Lithuania plans to consult its allies over the threat posed from the balloons and may discuss activating the NATO consultation clause - a provision enabling alliance discussion about national security issues, especially related to its security - the Prime Minister concluded.

Flight Cancellations

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns at the weekend due to weather balloons from Belarus, impacting over hundred flights and thousands of travelers, per transportation authority data.

During the current month, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, according to emergency management officials.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from Belarus this year, per government spokesperson comments, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

European Context

Additional aviation facilities - including in Copenhagen and Munich - experienced similar aerial disruptions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, in recent weeks.