The Lithuanian government to shoot down contraband-carrying balloons, PM warns.

The Baltic nation plans to shoot down helium balloons carrying cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, the country's leader announced.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border disrupted air traffic repeatedly in recent days, with weekend disruptions, while authorities suspended cross-border movement during each incident.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

The government leader stated, "we are ready to take the strictest possible measures when our airspace is violated."

National Security Actions

Detailing the measures during a briefing, Ruginiene said the army was taking "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel across the international border, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"Through these actions, we communicate to the neighboring nation declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to prevent similar incidents," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Minsk officials.

Diplomatic Measures

Lithuania plans to consult its allies regarding the aerial device concerns while potentially considering invocation of the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation on any issue of concern, particularly involving territorial protection - she added.

Flight Cancellations

Lithuanian airports were closed three times during holiday periods from balloon incidents crossing the international border, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, per transportation authority data.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, according to emergency management officials.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from neighboring territory during current year, an NCMC spokesman said, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

Regional Situation

International air travel hubs - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, with unauthorized drone observations, over past months.