US EditionBalloons carrying smuggled cigarettes lead to Lithuania airport closure
Up to 25 hot-air balloons carrying 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes from Belarus forced Vilnius Airport to close, delaying 30 flights and impacting about 6,000 passengers.
- On October 4, 2025, Vilnius International Airport shut down after up to 25 small hot-air balloons delayed 30 flights and affected around 6,000 passengers.
- Belarusian smugglers increasingly chose balloons because they are much cheaper than drones, officials say, with 544 balloons entering Lithuanian airspace this year after nearly 1,000 in 2024.
- Border police recovered 11 balloons and some 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes, while State Border Guard spokesperson Giedrius Miautis reported 12,000 packs among the cargo.
- Most incoming flights were redirected to Latvia and Poland, one flight returned to Copenhagen, and airport authorities warned some delays may persist into Monday as Lithuanian parliament expands armed forces' authority.
- On October 6, 2025, the Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovičius said the balloon incidents are treated as organized crime, adding to concerns after the Munich Airport closure and over 100 attempts in Poland's Podlaskie region.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Up to 25 weather balloons sailed across the Lithuanian border on Sunday night. Authorities have found eleven of them – and seized around 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes.
Airport Shuttered by Cigarette-Smuggling Balloons
Flights were brought to a halt at Lithuania's busiest airport over the weekend after dozens of balloons loaded with black-market cigarettes drifted in from Belarus. Lithuanian officials said 25 balloons—normally used for meteorological purposes—were detected Sunday, with two ending up above Vilnius Airport, prompting the cancellation of 30...
Balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes lead to Lithuania airport closure
Lithuanian officials recovered 18,000 packs of contraband cigarettes from balloons that flew over the country this weekend, halting air traffic at Vilnius Airport. Officials say up to 25 small hot-air balloons entered Lithuanian airspace on Saturday. Of the 25 balloons, officials recovered 11 and discovered they had been carrying packs of smuggled cigarettes from Belarus. The balloons are becoming increasingly popular for Belarusian smugglers,…
"Ballons" were detected over Vilnius Airport, Lithuania. Air traffic was temporarily disrupted.
Cigarette-smuggling balloons violate Lithuanian airspace
Up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some of them confirmed to have smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace Saturday. This forced an airport shutdown, which led to flight delays, authorities said. CNN’s Brian Abel has the details.
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