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The Baltic nation plans to shoot down helium balloons carrying illicit goods from Belarus, government officials confirmed.

This decision follows after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace disrupted air traffic multiple times over the past week, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "we are ready to take the strictest possible measures 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.

About the border closure, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues for cross-border diplomatic missions, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"Through these actions, we communicate to the neighboring nation and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to prevent similar incidents," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from the neighboring government.

International Consultation

Lithuania plans to consult its allies about the security challenges presented while potentially considering invocation of the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation regarding security matters, especially related to its security - she added.

Travel Impacts

Lithuanian airports were closed three times over the weekend because of aerial devices from Belarus, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, based on regional media reports.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

The phenomenon is not new: by autumn measurements, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania from Belarus this year, an NCMC spokesman said, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

International Perspective

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - have also been affected by air incursions, including drone sightings, in recent weeks.