Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said today that her country will begin shooting down smugglers’ balloons crossing the border from , which have repeatedly caused air traffic problems over the Baltic country.
Lithuania closed Vilnius four times last week after balloons entered its airspace, and each time temporarily closed border crossings with Belarus in response to the incidents.
Lithuania has said the balloons are sent by smugglers of cigarettes from Belarus to the EU, but also accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, of not stopping the practice.
There is currently no comment from Belarus.
Ruginiene called the incidents “hybrid attacks” and said border crossings with Belarus would be closed except for the travel of diplomats and European Union citizens leaving the neighboring country.
“Today we decided to take the strictest measures. There is no other way,” Ruginiene told a press conference, adding that Lithuania, a NATO member, could also discuss invoking NATO’s Article 4 for security consultations.”
European aviation has repeatedly been plunged into chaos, including over airports in Copenhagen, Munich and the Baltic region.
On Thursday, October 23, Lithuania said two Russian military planes entered its airspace for about 18 seconds, prompting a formal protest and a response from NATO forces, while Russia denied responsibility.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budris said the recent airspace violations should not be seen as isolated incidents.
“They are deliberate provocations, designed to destabilize, distract and test the resolve of NATO,” he said on social media X.
