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Lithuania will begin to eliminate balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, the country's leader announced.

This action responds after unauthorized aerial incursions necessitated airport closures repeatedly in recent days, with weekend disruptions, accompanied by temporary closures of frontier checkpoints during these events.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "authorities will not hesitate to employ even the most severe actions against airspace violations."

Official Measures

Announcing the actions at a press conference, Ruginiene said the army was taking "every required action" to intercept unauthorized devices.

Concerning border measures, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues between the two countries, 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 Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," she said.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Belarus.

International Consultation

Lithuania plans to consult its allies over the threat posed from the balloons and may discuss activating the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation regarding security matters, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Airport Disruptions

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns during holiday periods from balloon incidents crossing the international border, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, based on regional media reports.

Earlier this month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: through early October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders from neighboring territory during current year, according to official statements, while 966 were recorded last year.

Regional Situation

Other European airports - covering northern and central European sites - experienced similar aerial disruptions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, in recent weeks.