Lithuania’s government announced a state of emergency on Tuesday due to security concerns arising from meteorological balloons entering its airspace from Belarus, a country aligned with Russia. These balloons have disrupted Lithuania’s main airport operations, leading to multiple closures and stranding thousands of passengers. The European region is already vigilant following past airspace violations during the Ukrainian conflict.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė emphasized the need for stringent measures to counter the Belarusian hybrid attack and protect the affected areas. As a NATO member and a staunch supporter of Ukraine against Russian aggression, Lithuania convened a cabinet meeting to address the situation.
The national emergency declaration allows the military to patrol the border alongside other uniformed services and grants additional rights from parliament for conducting searches and detaining individuals, with minimal impact on civilians.
Authorities in Vilnius suspect the balloons, primarily used for smuggling cigarettes, are part of a deliberate disruption campaign orchestrated by Belarus. The Vilnius international airport faced over 60 hours of closure since October, affecting hundreds of flights and tens of thousands of passengers.
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič disclosed that Lithuanian prosecutors initiated an investigation into the balloons, with intelligence services looking into possible connections with the Minsk regime. He highlighted the lack of Belarusian efforts to stop the balloon senders, citing it as evidence of a hybrid attack.
In response to airspace violations, Lithuanian officials closed two border crossings in October. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko criticized Lithuania’s border closure as part of a hybrid war and denied allegations of conducting attacks through balloons, instead accusing Vilnius of politicizing the issue.
Lukashenko proposed negotiations between Minsk and Vilnius to address the situation amicably. Lithuania, Poland, and other EU nations have accused Belarus of instigating instability through various means, including cyberattacks and migrant influxes.
Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich noted an escalation in the balloon issue following Lukashenko’s successful negotiation to lift U.S. sanctions against Belavia, Belarus’s national airline. The analyst suggested Lukashenko’s motives to press for EU sanctions relief through negotiations with Lithuania.