Lithuania closes Belarus border suspends airports over balloons

Lithuania announced on Monday that it had closed most border crossings with Belarus and temporarily suspended operations at its largest airports after repeated nights of balloons launched from Belarusian territory entered Lithuanian airspace carrying contraband cigarettes. Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said the measures, announced after a week of airspace disruptions, include authorizing security forces to shoot down future balloons and tightening controls on crossings that remain open.

Officials said the latest wave of incursions forced Vilnius International Airport and Kaunas Airport to halt flights on multiple occasions over the past week, with Vilnius alone shutting down air traffic several times. Airport authorities reported dozens of cancellations and disruptions affecting thousands of passengers; officials cited radar detections of tens of objects moving from Belarus toward Lithuanian territory. The government said the balloons are being used to transport contraband tobacco and that some can carry up to 20 kilograms of cargo, prompting safety concerns for commercial aircraft.

Ruginienė told reporters, "We are sending a signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be...