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Authorities have decided to intercept and destroy helium balloons carrying contraband tobacco across the border, its prime minister has warned.

This decision follows after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace necessitated airport closures on several occasions recently, affecting holiday travel, with the government also closing cross-border movement during each incident.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "authorities will not hesitate to employ maximum response protocols during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Government Response

Detailing the measures during a briefing, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access across the international border, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"This represents our clear message to the neighboring nation stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," government officials declared.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Belarus.

International Consultation

Lithuania plans to consult its allies about the security challenges presented while potentially considering invocation of Nato's Article 4 - a request for consultation by a Nato member country about national security issues, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

Lithuanian airports were closed three times at the weekend due to weather balloons crossing the international border, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, based on regional media reports.

In recent weeks, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

These incidents continue previous patterns: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from neighboring territory during current year, per government spokesperson comments, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

Regional Situation

International air travel hubs - such as Scandinavian and German locations - faced comparable aviation security challenges, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, over past months.