US EditionBalloons from Belarus disrupt Lithuanian airport for 2 successive nights and add to tensions
Two nights of balloon-related disruptions caused 14 flight cancellations and 11 diversions at Lithuania's main airports, prompting border security and penalty reviews.
- On Saturday, Vilnius Airport suspended air traffic from 9:35 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Sunday due to balloons suspected of smuggling cigarettes, causing cancellations and diversions.
- Authorities say the balloons originated near Belarus and are suspected of smuggling cigarettes, causing Medininkai and Šalčininkai border crossings to close for several hours after each incident.
- The Friday disruptions produced measurable cancellations and diversions as suspensions at Vilnius and Kaunas caused 10 cancellations and four diverted flights, following similar Wednesday incidents.
- Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė convened Lithuania's National Security Commission for Monday as authorities plan to discuss consequences, with possible longer border closure and tougher smuggling penalties.
- Since 2023, the head of Lithuania's border guard says balloons have only carried cigarettes, with incidents occurring on Lithuania's eastern flank bordering Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus in the European Union and NATO context.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Lithuania Has A 'Cigarette-Smuggling Balloon' Problem With Belarus
Flights at Lithuania's main airport were disrupted on two successive nights in the latest of a string of incidents involving suspected sightings of balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus.
In Lithuania, air operations at Vilnius Airport have been temporarily stopped once more after the sighting of other balloons. This was reported by the operator. It was already the third time within a week that take-offs and landings had to be suspended.
Associated Press News
Balloons from Belarus disrupt Lithuanian airport for 2 successive nights and add to tensions
Flights at Lithuania’s main airport have been disrupted on two successive nights in the latest of a string of incidents involving suspected sightings of balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighboring Belarus.
Balloons from Belarus disrupt Lithuanian airport for 2 successive nights
Flights at Lithuania’s main airport have been disrupted on two successive nights in the latest of a string of incidents involving suspected sightings of balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighboring Belarus
This is not the first time that private planes from Belarus have crossed Lithuanian airspace. Although Lithuania is preparing to shoot down drones and close the border with Belarus if weather balloon flights continue, private planes are allowed to fly almost freely. This is not the first time that private planes from Belarus have been recorded on the flight tracking platform Flightradar24. Although the planes are not large, the purpose of their…
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, a smaller number of weather balloons used to smuggle cigarettes flew into Lithuania from Belarus, and a drone was spotted, which contributed to the disruption of Vilnius Airport's operations, says Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center (NKMC).
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