Lithuania’s government has officially declared a national emergency due to security concerns stemming from meteorological balloons originating from Belarus, a country aligned with Russia. These balloons have been breaching Lithuanian airspace in recent weeks, leading to the repeated closure of Lithuania’s main airport and causing significant disruptions for thousands of travelers. The European region is on high alert following previous airspace violations by Russia during the conflict in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė emphasized the need for stringent measures to combat what is perceived as a Belarusian hybrid attack, targeting the areas most impacted by this activity. The decision to declare a national emergency was made during a cabinet meeting in the Baltic state, which is a NATO member and a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its confrontation against Russian forces.
Under the national emergency status, the military will be deployed to patrol the border alongside other law enforcement agencies, granting them additional powers authorized by parliament, such as conducting searches and detainment. The government assured that the impact on civilians would be minimal.
Officials in Vilnius suspect that the balloons are not only used for smuggling cigarettes but are intentionally being deployed by Belarus to disrupt Lithuania. The Vilnius international airport has been forced to close for more than 60 hours since October, affecting over 350 flights and approximately 51,000 passengers, posing a significant threat to civil aviation.
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič disclosed that Lithuanian prosecutors have initiated an investigation into the balloons, with intelligence services looking into possible connections with the Minsk regime. The minister highlighted the lack of Belarusian efforts to stop the senders of the balloons as evidence of a hybrid attack.
President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus condemned Lithuania’s border closures as part of a “mad scam” and accused the country of waging a hybrid war against Belarus. He refuted allegations of hybrid attacks and claimed that the balloons posed no danger to civil aviation, accusing Vilnius of politicizing the issue. Lukashenko proposed negotiations between the two countries to address the escalating tensions.
Lithuania, Poland, and other EU nations in the region have previously accused Belarus of engaging in destabilizing activities, including cyberattacks and orchestrating migrant influxes to create border crises. The balloon issue, according to Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich, has intensified following Lukashenko’s success in lifting U.S. sanctions against the national airline Belavia. Karbalevich suggested that Lukashenko aims to leverage the balloon incidents to pressure Lithuania and prompt negotiations with the EU.