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Authorities have decided to intercept and destroy balloons used to smuggle contraband tobacco across the border, its prime minister has warned.

The measure comes after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace disrupted air traffic repeatedly in recent days, with weekend disruptions, with the government also closing frontier checkpoints during these events.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

The government leader stated, "our nation stands prepared to implement the strictest possible measures when our airspace is violated."

Government Response

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to intercept unauthorized devices.

Regarding frontier restrictions, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel across the international border, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, however general movement continues suspended.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to Belarus and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to prevent similar incidents," she said.

There has been no immediate response from the neighboring government.

Diplomatic Measures

Lithuania plans to consult its allies regarding the aerial device concerns and may discuss activating Nato's Article 4 - a request for consultation by a Nato member country regarding security matters, particularly involving territorial protection - officials noted.

Flight Cancellations

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns during holiday periods from balloon incidents crossing the international border, impacting over hundred flights and thousands of travelers, according to Baltic News Service.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, per national security agency reports.

The phenomenon is not new: through early October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders across the frontier in recent months, an NCMC spokesman said, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

European Context

Additional aviation facilities - covering northern and central European sites - experienced similar aerial disruptions, including drone sightings, in recent weeks.