The Lithuanian government has declared a 'nationwide emergency situation' in response to a series of incursions from neighbouring Belarus by weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene condemned the balloon incursions as a 'hybrid attack' by Belarus that posed a real risk to national security and civil aviation.
This year alone, officials say about 600 balloons linked to smuggling and almost 200 drones have entered Lithuanian airspace, leading to the repeated closure of Vilnius airport.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko denies being behind the incursions, alleging the issue has been 'politicised' by Lithuania, which is a member of both the EU and NATO.
Lithuania's decision to impose an 'emergency situation' is a step below a state of emergency, which was last imposed in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It grants the armed forces additional powers to respond faster and more effectively.
Belarus's long-time leader is a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin, and Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda has stated that there is substantial evidence supporting the notion that the balloon threat is a 'deliberate action aimed at destabilising the situation in Lithuania.'
A number of European countries have faced various threats from Russia, which the EU has condemned as a 'hybrid campaign' including sabotage, disruption to critical infrastructure, and recently, drone flights near sensitive sites.
Last month, the head of NATO's military committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, mentioned that the Western military alliance was considering a more 'aggressive' or 'pro-active' stance in response to Russia's hybrid warfare.
Lithuania has accused Belarus of this kind of provocation before. Four years ago, thousands of irregular migrants mostly from the Middle East crossed the Belarusian border.
Responding to the latest threat, Lithuania closed two border checkpoints with Belarus for three weeks from the end of October. Following this, Belarus barred Lithuanian trucks from using its roads, leaving hundreds of Lithuanian vehicles stranded.
'We are talking about aviation security and international law, and about the fact that such actions could be recognised as terrorism,' Ruginiene commented recently, referring to both the balloons and the blocked trucks.
The weather balloons can fly to a height of 10km (6 miles) and Lithuania's interior ministry reports that they have caused Vilnius airport to shut down for over 60 hours since October, affecting around 30,000 passengers.
Lukashenko stated that what Lithuania accused Belarus of was impossible, adding, 'It is unrealistic. Even if balloons flew into there, I have spoken to pilots and they say that they pose no problem.'
With operations at Vilnius airport disrupted on multiple occasions, airlines such as Finnair have suspended evening flights until the end of February due to balloon risks.
