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The Baltic nation plans to eliminate balloons used to smuggle illicit goods from Belarus, government officials confirmed.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border forced Vilnius Airport to close repeatedly in recent days, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of cross-border movement during each incident.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "we are ready to take maximum response protocols when our airspace is violated."

Official Measures

Detailing the measures during a briefing, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "all necessary measures" to shoot down balloons.

Concerning border measures, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel across the international border, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, however general movement continues suspended.

"This represents our clear message to the neighboring nation and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to halt these operations," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Official communications saw no quick answer from the neighboring government.

Alliance Coordination

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners about the security challenges presented and may discuss activating the NATO consultation clause - a request for consultation by a Nato member country about national security issues, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Airport Disruptions

National air facilities experienced triple closures during holiday periods from balloon incidents crossing the international border, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, based on regional media reports.

In recent weeks, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, per national security agency reports.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders across the frontier in recent months, according to official statements, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

International Perspective

Other European airports - covering northern and central European sites - experienced similar aerial disruptions, with unauthorized drone observations, during current period.