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Authorities have decided to intercept and destroy helium balloons carrying cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This action responds after unauthorized aerial incursions forced Vilnius Airport to close repeatedly in recent days, including at the weekend, with the government also closing Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement maximum response protocols during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Government Response

Announcing the actions at a press conference, officials stated defense units were executing "every required action" to eliminate aerial threats.

Regarding frontier restrictions, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access between the two countries, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"This represents our clear message to Belarus and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to stop such attacks," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Minsk officials.

Alliance Coordination

Authorities will discuss with international allies about the security challenges presented with possible discussions about implementing Nato's Article 4 - a request for consultation by a Nato member country regarding security matters, especially related to its security - she added.

Airport Disruptions

Lithuanian airports were closed three times during holiday periods from balloon incidents originating from neighboring territory, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, per transportation authority data.

In recent weeks, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

The phenomenon is not new: as of 6 October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders from Belarus this year, per government spokesperson comments, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

International Perspective

Other European airports - covering northern and central European sites - experienced similar aerial disruptions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, over past months.