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Lithuania will begin to shoot down aerial devices transporting contraband tobacco across the border, its prime minister has warned.

This decision follows after unauthorized aerial incursions necessitated airport closures repeatedly in recent days, with weekend disruptions, while authorities suspended frontier checkpoints during these events.

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

The government leader stated, "we are ready to take maximum response protocols when our airspace is violated."

Government Response

Announcing the actions at a press conference, Ruginiene said the army was taking "every required action" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues between the two countries, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, but no other movement will be allowed.

"Through these actions, we communicate to foreign authorities stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to halt these operations," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

Authorities will discuss with international allies regarding the aerial device concerns and may discuss activating Nato's Article 4 - a provision enabling alliance discussion about national security issues, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Airport Disruptions

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

Earlier this month, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, per national security agency reports.

The phenomenon is not new: through early October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from Belarus this year, per government spokesperson comments, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

Regional Situation

International air travel hubs - such as Scandinavian and German locations - have also been affected by air incursions, with unauthorized drone observations, over past months.