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Authorities have decided to eliminate balloons used to smuggle illicit goods from Belarus, the country's leader announced.

The measure comes after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace necessitated airport closures multiple times over the past week, affecting holiday travel, with the government also closing frontier checkpoints during these events.

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

According to official declarations, "we are ready to take maximum response protocols during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Government Response

Detailing the measures during a briefing, officials stated defense units were executing "all necessary measures" to eliminate aerial threats.

Concerning border measures, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel for cross-border diplomatic missions, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to prevent similar incidents," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

Lithuania plans to consult its allies regarding the aerial device concerns while potentially considering invocation of the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation on any issue of concern, especially related to its security - she added.

Travel Impacts

National air facilities experienced triple closures at the weekend due to weather balloons crossing the international border, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, based on regional media reports.

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

The phenomenon is not new: by autumn measurements, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, per government spokesperson comments, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

Regional Situation

Additional aviation facilities - including in Copenhagen and Munich - experienced similar aerial disruptions, with unauthorized drone observations, during current period.