Vilnius Airport closed after balloons linked to cigarette smuggling

Lithuanian authorities closed Vilnius Airport overnight after radar tracked dozens of helium balloons believed to be carrying contraband cigarettes from Belarus, disrupting flights and prompting tightened border controls, officials said. The National Crisis Management Centre said the restriction began late Tuesday and continued into Wednesday morning, forcing multiple incoming flights to be redirected and cancelling about 30 services to and from the capital's airport and affecting thousands of passengers.

Airport operators said several incoming flights were sent to Kaunas in Lithuania and to Warsaw, and passengers were advised to follow airline updates. The centre said operations were disrupted by "weather balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus" and that an investigation has been opened. Officials added that the balloons did not appear to have been launched from a single location.

The episode is the latest in a string of similar incidents this month. Vilnius Airport was shut on October 5 after balloons carrying contraband cigarettes were found, and authorities described the most recent event as the third such disruption in the same period. Transport ministry statements...