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Authorities have decided to intercept and destroy balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, government officials confirmed.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border forced Vilnius Airport to close 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 even the most severe actions during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Government Response

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to eliminate aerial threats.

Regarding frontier restrictions, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues across the international border, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, however general movement continues suspended.

"Through these actions, we communicate to foreign authorities stating that asymmetric operations face opposition across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to stop such attacks," government officials declared.

Official communications saw no quick answer from the neighboring government.

Alliance Coordination

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners regarding the aerial device concerns with possible discussions about implementing the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation regarding security matters, 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, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, based on regional media reports.

Earlier this month, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

These incidents continue previous patterns: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from Belarus this year, according to official statements, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

European Context

International air travel hubs - covering northern and central European sites - have also been affected by air incursions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, in recent weeks.