Lithuania closes airports and border crossings with Belarus After mass balloon intrusions

Lithuania implemented emergency security measures on the night of October 25, shutting down the country’s two largest airports and closing border checkpoints with Belarus following a mass incursion of helium weather balloons into its airspace. This marks the third such incident in the past month.

Vilnius and Kaunas airports were closed until 2 a.m. for security reasons, while border crossings with Belarus will remain shut until noon on October 26, according to the National Crisis Management Centre of Lithuania, cited by Lithuanian media.

On October 24, radar detected “dozens of balloons” crossing the border.

Lithuanian authorities state that the balloons are being used by smugglers to transport cigarettes. However, Vilnius also holds Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko politically responsible, accusing him of deliberately failing to prevent these illegal activities.

“The National Security Commission will meet next week and assess what can be done in the near future to make this painful for smugglers and for the Lukashenko regime, which allows them to flourish,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said.

Vilnius airport had been closed for similar reasons earlier this week, on October 21, as well as on October 5. In addition, on October 23, two Russian planes from the Kaliningrad region violated Lithuanian airspace, adding to the heightened security concerns.

By Tamilla Hasanova