Lithuania declares state of emergency over threat from Belarus balloons

Lithuanian authorities have declared a state of emergency across the entire country due to the ongoing threat posed by contraband balloons arriving from Belarus.

Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič has been appointed interim coordinator of response measures, Caliber.Az reports, citing LRT.

According to the Interior Ministry, the balloons pose a threat to national security, disrupt civil aviation, and interfere with operations at Vilnius Airport, causing both financial and reputational damage.

The state of emergency will enable authorities to coordinate actions more effectively, involve military units, and implement response measures without causing any inconvenience to the population.

The government has also asked the Seimas to urgently grant the military additional powers for three months, including issuing mandatory instructions to citizens and organisations, detaining violators, and inspecting documents and vehicles.

Vilnius Airport has already been forced to suspend operations multiple times due to the balloons’ passage, and in late October, the border with Belarus was temporarily closed to control the situation.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginenė said she plans to take the matter to international judicial institutions, including the International Court of Justice.

Minsk has rejected any link to the balloons and instead accused Vilnius of staging provocations, claiming Lithuania even used a drone to drop “extremist material.” 

Lithuania, a NATO and EU member and former Soviet republic, has dismissed those claims as unfounded.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on December 1 that conditions along the border were deteriorating, describing the balloon incidents as a “hybrid attack” by Belarus that was “completely unacceptable.”

In 2021, Lithuania declared a state of emergency in the border area with Belarus, citing a surge in illegal migration and restricting access for non-residents.

A year later, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Vilnius imposed another state of emergency amid concerns it could become a target, introducing limits on free speech to counter what it viewed as possible Russian propaganda.

By Jeyhun Aghazada