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Lithuania will begin to shoot down balloons used to smuggle illicit goods from Belarus, the country's leader announced.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border forced Vilnius Airport to close repeatedly in recent days, affecting holiday travel, with the government also closing cross-border movement during each incident.

International border access continues restricted due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

According to official declarations, "we are ready to take the strictest possible measures during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Official Measures

Detailing the measures during a briefing, Ruginiene said the army was taking "all necessary measures" to intercept unauthorized devices.

About the border closure, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel between the two countries, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, but no other movement will be allowed.

"This represents our clear message to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Belarus.

Diplomatic Measures

Lithuania plans to consult its allies over the threat posed from the balloons with possible discussions about implementing the NATO consultation clause - a request for consultation by a Nato member country 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, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, per transportation authority data.

Earlier this month, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, per national security agency reports.

These incidents continue previous patterns: by autumn measurements, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders across the frontier in recent months, 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, including drone sightings, over past months.