Lithuania closes airports, Belarus border crossings after ‘smuggling balloons’ incident

Lithuania has closed its last two operational border crossings with Belarus and the country’s largest airports after another incident involving balloons launched from Belarusian territory, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene announced on Oct. 24.

The move comes after a series of airspace violations involving balloons carrying contraband cigarettes. On Oct. 5 and 21, Lithuanian authorities were forced to close the airspace above Vilnius, leading to the cancellation of dozens of flights.

“The State Border Guard Service has closed the Salcininkai and Medininkai border crossing points until noon tomorrow,” Ruginiene wrote on Facebook, citing national security concerns.

Ruginiene added that a large group of “smuggling balloons” was launched from Belarus toward Lithuania, prompting the temporary suspension of operations at Vilnius and Kaunas airports.

“The services are acting in accordance with the decisions taken at this week’s National Security Commission meeting. Next week, the commission will meet again to assess the effectiveness of the measures taken and determine what else can be done,” she said.

The latest incident marks the third such violation in a month.

Belarus, ruled by dictator Alexander Lukashenko since 1994, remains one of Moscow’s closest allies and has provided Russia with political, economic, and military support during its full-scale war in Ukraine.

Lithuania shares a 680-kilometer (420-mile) border with the country.

The closure follows a surge in suspicious aerial incidents across Europe, fueling fears of hybrid operations linked to Russia. In early October, Munich International Airport faced two consecutive disruptions over suspected drone activity.

Similar incidents briefly grounded flights in Oslo and Copenhagen, while in September, Polish forces shot down several Russian drones that violated its airspace. Days later, Romania reported that a Russian drone had crossed its border but chose not to engage.