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The Baltic nation plans to shoot down balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

The measure comes after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times over the past week, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of frontier checkpoints during these events.

International border access continues restricted following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement the strictest possible measures against airspace violations."

National Security Actions

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to shoot down balloons.

Concerning border measures, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues across the international border, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to Belarus declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to halt these operations," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

Lithuania plans to consult its allies over the threat posed from the balloons and may discuss activating the NATO consultation clause - a provision enabling alliance discussion about national security issues, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Flight Cancellations

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns during holiday periods from balloon incidents from Belarus, impacting over hundred flights and thousands of travelers, based on regional media reports.

In recent weeks, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, according to emergency management officials.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from neighboring territory during current year, according to official statements, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

European Context

Additional aviation facilities - including in Copenhagen and Munich - experienced similar aerial disruptions, with unauthorized drone observations, in recent weeks.