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The Baltic nation plans to eliminate helium balloons carrying cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times over the past week, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of cross-border movement during each incident.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

According to official declarations, "authorities will not hesitate to employ the strictest possible measures against airspace violations."

Government Response

Announcing the actions at a press conference, Ruginiene said the army was taking "every required action" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access for cross-border diplomatic missions, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to the neighboring nation stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to prevent similar incidents," government officials declared.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from the neighboring government.

Diplomatic Measures

Lithuania plans to consult its allies regarding the aerial device concerns while potentially considering invocation of Nato's Article 4 - a provision enabling alliance discussion about national security issues, specifically concerning defense matters - she added.

Flight Cancellations

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.

In recent weeks, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, according to emergency management officials.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: by autumn measurements, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders across the frontier in recent months, according to official statements, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

Regional Situation

International air travel hubs - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, with unauthorized drone observations, over past months.