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Authorities have decided to eliminate helium balloons carrying contraband tobacco across the border, government officials confirmed.

The measure comes after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace necessitated airport closures repeatedly in recent days, with weekend disruptions, while authorities suspended Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement maximum response protocols against airspace violations."

Official Measures

Outlining the strategy to media, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to shoot down balloons.

Concerning border measures, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel across the international border, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, but no other movement will be allowed.

"This represents our clear message to foreign authorities stating that asymmetric operations face opposition across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to halt these operations," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Belarus.

Diplomatic Measures

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners about the security challenges presented and may discuss activating the NATO consultation clause - a request for consultation by a Nato member country regarding security matters, especially related to its security - the Prime Minister concluded.

Airport Disruptions

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, per transportation authority data.

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

These incidents continue previous patterns: as of 6 October, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania from Belarus this year, according to official statements, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

European Context

Other European airports - covering northern and central European sites - experienced similar aerial disruptions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, over past months.