Lithuania will begin to eliminate balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.
This action responds after foreign objects crossing the border disrupted air traffic repeatedly in recent days, affecting holiday travel, with the government also closing Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.
International border access continues restricted following repeated balloon incursions.
According to official declarations, "we are ready to take even the most severe actions when our airspace is violated."
Detailing the measures during a briefing, Ruginiene said the army was taking "every required action" to shoot down balloons.
Regarding frontier restrictions, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel between the two countries, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, but no other movement will be allowed.
"This represents our clear message to foreign authorities declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to halt these operations," she said.
Authorities received no prompt reaction from the neighboring government.
Authorities will discuss with international allies over the threat posed from the balloons and may discuss activating the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation about national security issues, particularly involving territorial protection - officials noted.
National air facilities experienced triple closures during holiday periods from balloon incidents originating from neighboring territory, impacting over hundred flights and thousands of travelers, according to Baltic News Service.
Earlier this month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, according to emergency management officials.
This situation represents ongoing challenges: as of 6 October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders from Belarus this year, an NCMC spokesman said, compared to higher numbers in prior period.
Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, over past months.
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