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The Baltic nation plans to eliminate helium balloons carrying cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, government officials confirmed.

This decision follows after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace disrupted air traffic on several occasions recently, with weekend disruptions, with the government also closing cross-border movement during each incident.

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

According to official declarations, "authorities will not hesitate to employ the strictest possible measures against airspace violations."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, Ruginiene said the army was taking "every required action" to eliminate aerial threats.

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

"In this way, we are sending a signal to foreign authorities stating that asymmetric operations face opposition here, and we will take all the strictest measures to stop such attacks," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Minsk officials.

Diplomatic Measures

Lithuania plans to consult its allies regarding the aerial device concerns and may discuss activating the NATO consultation clause - a provision enabling alliance discussion regarding security matters, especially related to its security - 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, based on regional media reports.

In recent weeks, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, according to emergency management officials.

The phenomenon is not new: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from Belarus this year, an NCMC spokesman said, while 966 were recorded last year.

International Perspective

Additional aviation facilities - covering northern and central European sites - faced comparable aviation security challenges, with unauthorized drone observations, during current period.