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Lithuania will begin to intercept and destroy balloons used to smuggle contraband tobacco across the border, the country's leader announced.

This action responds after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace necessitated airport closures on several occasions recently, affecting holiday travel, while authorities suspended Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

The government leader stated, "authorities will not hesitate to employ even the most severe actions when our airspace is violated."

Official Measures

Outlining the strategy to media, Ruginiene said the army was taking "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

Concerning border measures, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues across the international border, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, however general movement continues suspended.

"Through these actions, we communicate to the neighboring nation and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated here, and we will take all the strictest measures to stop such attacks," she said.

There has been no immediate response from Minsk officials.

International Consultation

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners about the security challenges presented while potentially considering invocation of the NATO consultation clause - a provision enabling alliance discussion regarding security matters, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Flight Cancellations

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns over the weekend because of aerial devices from Belarus, impacting over hundred flights and thousands of travelers, per transportation authority data.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, per national security agency reports.

The phenomenon is not new: through early October, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania from Belarus this year, an NCMC spokesman said, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

Regional Situation

Additional aviation facilities - including in Copenhagen and Munich - faced comparable aviation security challenges, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, over past months.