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Authorities have decided to shoot down balloons used to smuggle illicit goods from Belarus, the country's leader announced.

The measure comes after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times over the past week, affecting holiday travel, accompanied by temporary closures of Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

International border access continues restricted in response to the helium weather balloons.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "we are ready to take maximum response protocols during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Government Response

Outlining the strategy to media, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to intercept unauthorized devices.

Concerning border measures, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access across the international border, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, but no other movement will be allowed.

"This represents our clear message to the neighboring nation and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," the Prime Minister emphasized.

There has been no immediate response from Belarus.

International Consultation

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners regarding the aerial device concerns and may discuss activating Nato's Article 4 - a request for consultation by a Nato member country about national security issues, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Airport Disruptions

National air facilities experienced triple closures during holiday periods from balloon incidents originating from neighboring territory, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, according to Baltic News Service.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, according to emergency management officials.

The phenomenon is not new: as of 6 October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders from Belarus this year, according to official statements, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

International Perspective

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - faced comparable aviation security challenges, with unauthorized drone observations, in recent weeks.