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Authorities have decided to shoot down balloons used to smuggle contraband tobacco across the border, government officials confirmed.

This action responds after unauthorized aerial incursions forced Vilnius Airport to close on several occasions recently, with weekend disruptions, while authorities suspended frontier checkpoints during these events.

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

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement the strictest possible measures when our airspace is violated."

National Security Actions

Detailing the measures during a briefing, officials stated defense units were executing "all necessary measures" to eliminate aerial threats.

Regarding frontier restrictions, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel across the international border, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, but no other movement will be allowed.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to foreign authorities stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to prevent similar incidents," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from the neighboring government.

Alliance Coordination

Lithuania plans to consult its allies over the threat posed from the balloons and may discuss activating the alliance's consultation mechanism - a request for consultation by a Nato member country on any issue of concern, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

Lithuanian airports were closed three times over the weekend because of aerial devices crossing the international border, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, per transportation authority data.

Earlier this month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, according to emergency management officials.

These incidents continue previous patterns: as of 6 October, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania from Belarus this year, per government spokesperson comments, while 966 were recorded last year.

European Context

Other European airports - such as Scandinavian and German locations - faced comparable aviation security challenges, including drone sightings, over past months.