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The Baltic nation plans to intercept and destroy aerial devices transporting cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

The measure comes after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times over the past week, with weekend disruptions, accompanied by temporary closures of Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

According to official declarations, "we are ready to take the strictest possible measures during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

National Security Actions

Announcing the actions at a press conference, Ruginiene said the army was taking "every required action" to eliminate aerial threats.

Concerning border measures, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel across the international border, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, but no other movement will be allowed.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to foreign authorities declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted here, and we will take all the strictest measures to stop such attacks," government officials declared.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Minsk officials.

Diplomatic Measures

Lithuania plans to consult its allies over the threat posed from the balloons while potentially considering invocation of the alliance's consultation mechanism - a protocol allowing member state consultation on any issue of concern, specifically concerning defense matters - the Prime Minister concluded.

Flight Cancellations

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

In recent weeks, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, according to emergency management officials.

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

International Perspective

Other European airports - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, during current period.