Lithuania plans to eliminate smuggling balloons, PM warns.

Lithuania will begin to eliminate aerial devices transporting illicit goods from Belarus, government officials confirmed.

The measure comes after unauthorized aerial incursions necessitated airport closures on several occasions recently, with weekend disruptions, while authorities suspended Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "we are ready to take maximum response protocols against airspace violations."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, Ruginiene said the army was taking "every required action" to eliminate aerial threats.

Concerning border measures, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel across the international border, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"This represents our clear message 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.

International Consultation

Lithuania plans to consult its allies over the threat posed from the balloons while potentially considering invocation of the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation about national security issues, especially related to its security - she added.

Travel Impacts

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns during holiday periods from balloon incidents from Belarus, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, based on regional media reports.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

The phenomenon is not new: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from neighboring territory during current year, an NCMC spokesman said, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

International Perspective

Additional aviation facilities - including in Copenhagen and Munich - experienced similar aerial disruptions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, during current period.