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

This action responds after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close repeatedly in recent days, including at the weekend, while authorities suspended frontier checkpoints during these events.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

The government leader stated, "we are ready to take maximum response protocols when our airspace is violated."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to eliminate aerial threats.

About the border closure, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel between the two countries, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, however general movement continues suspended.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to prevent similar incidents," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Minsk officials.

Alliance Coordination

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners over the threat posed from the balloons while potentially considering invocation of the alliance's consultation mechanism - a protocol allowing member state consultation regarding security matters, particularly involving territorial protection - the Prime Minister concluded.

Flight Cancellations

Lithuanian airports were closed three times at the weekend due to weather balloons from Belarus, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, according to Baltic News Service.

In recent weeks, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, per national security agency reports.

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.

International Perspective

Additional aviation facilities - covering northern and central European sites - faced comparable aviation security challenges, with unauthorized drone observations, in recent weeks.