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The Baltic nation plans to eliminate helium balloons carrying contraband tobacco across the border, government officials confirmed.

This action responds after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times over the past week, including at the weekend, while authorities suspended cross-border movement during each incident.

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

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement the strictest possible measures against airspace violations."

Government Response

Announcing the actions at a press conference, Ruginiene said the army was taking "every required action" to intercept unauthorized devices.

Regarding frontier restrictions, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access between the two countries, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, however general movement continues suspended.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to halt these operations," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners over the threat posed from the balloons with possible discussions about implementing Nato's Article 4 - a provision enabling alliance discussion regarding security matters, particularly involving territorial protection - the Prime Minister concluded.

Flight Cancellations

Lithuanian airports were closed three times at the weekend due to weather balloons crossing the international border, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, based on regional media reports.

In recent weeks, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, according to emergency management officials.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: as of 6 October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders from neighboring territory during current year, per government spokesperson comments, while 966 were recorded last year.

Regional Situation

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - faced comparable aviation security challenges, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, over past months.