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

This decision follows after unauthorized aerial incursions forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times over the past week, with weekend disruptions, with the government also closing cross-border movement during each incident.

International border access continues restricted following repeated balloon incursions.

The government leader stated, "we are ready to take the strictest possible measures during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

National Security Actions

Announcing the actions at a press conference, officials stated defense units were executing "every required action" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access for cross-border diplomatic missions, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, but no other movement will be allowed.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to foreign authorities declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted here, and we will take all the strictest measures to prevent similar incidents," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners regarding the aerial device concerns and may discuss activating Nato's Article 4 - a protocol allowing member state consultation on any issue of concern, especially related to its security - the Prime Minister concluded.

Airport Disruptions

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns during holiday periods from balloon incidents originating from neighboring territory, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, per transportation authority data.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, according to official statements, while 966 were recorded last year.

European Context

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, including drone sightings, during current period.