Lithuania Battles Airborne Smuggling: How Belarusian Cigarette-Carrying Balloons Are Disrupting Baltic Airspace

Lithuania, situated on NATO's eastern boundary and a member of the European Union, is facing an unusual cross-border challenge.

Vilnius:

Operations at Lithuania's primary airport experienced disruptions over two consecutive nights, adding to a series of incidents involving suspected cigarette-smuggling balloons from Belarus. Authorities are scheduled to convene on Monday to address potential consequences.

According to Vilnius Airport officials, aerial traffic was halted at 9:35 pm Saturday, with airspace reopening at 3:30 am Sunday. This interruption resulted in four flight cancellations and seven diversions. The previous night saw similar suspensions at both Vilnius and Kaunas airports, causing ten cancellations and four flight diversions.

These disruptions follow comparable incidents that occurred early Wednesday morning and on several other recent occasions. Lithuania's border crossings with Belarus at Medininkai and Salcininkai were temporarily closed for multiple hours during each balloon incident before resuming operations.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene has indicated that Lithuania might need to consider extending border closures with Belarus. Her administration is exploring stricter penalties for those involved in smuggling activities.

Ruginiene has scheduled a meeting of Lithuania's National Security Commission for Monday to evaluate potential measures. The government has communicated clear warnings to Belarus that activities disrupting strategic facilities such as airports will trigger firm responses.

According to Lithuania's border guard chief, who spoke to public broadcaster LRT last week, since the first sightings of smuggling balloons in 2023, there is no evidence suggesting they have been used to transport anything beyond illicit cigarettes.

Lithuania, as both an EU and NATO member, occupies a strategic position on the Western alliance's eastern flank. The country shares borders with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus, a close ally of Russia.