US EditionLithuania draws up plans to shut Belarus border crossings indefinitely after balloon disruptions
- On Sunday, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said Lithuania was temporarily closing its borders with Belarus as the Lithuanian security council meets on Monday to decide next steps.
- Authorities trace the problem to balloons launched from Belarus, which Lithuania says are likely used for smuggling cigarettes, with Ruginiene blaming Alexander Lukashenko for allowing them to 'run wild.'
- Vilnius Airport operations were halted when the airspace suspension from 9:42 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. affected 47 flights, and Kaunas Airport was also closed.
- Officials called on tech companies and defense contractors to develop tools to track balloons with GPS trackers and SIM cards, while local officials detected 'several hundred markers' and this year more than 100 arrests with 20 convictions occurred.
- European NATO has grown wary after drone incursions over Poland in September and related airspace violations reported by Denmark, while Baltic states cite repeated breaches linked to Russia and 250 balloons last year.
124 Articles
124 Articles
Air traffic in Lithuania was interrupted four times last week. Now the government has enough: the border with Belarus was closed.
Vilnius airport had to stop operating four times last week because of airspace objects.
Lithuania closes border with Belarus after multiple balloons violate airspace
Lithuania has closed its border with Belarus following “constant violations” of its airspace, the country’s foreign ministry announced Monday, at a time when European nations are on high alert for intrusions into their skies.
Lithuania to Indefinitely Close Border With Belarus After Balloon Sightings
On Oct. 27, Lithuania announced it would close its border with Belarus indefinitely after repeated sightings of smuggling balloons led to the suspension of flights at Vilnius Airport. Lithuania’s Ministry of the Interior said the Salcininkai checkpoint will be closed indefinitely, with no movement of people or vehicles allowed. There will also be restrictions in place at the Medininkai checkpoint; only diplomats, those transporting diplomatic ma…
The tension between Lithuania and Belarus rises again. After days of raids of dozens of balloons in Lithuanian airspace, the government of Vilnius announced the closure of...
The Lithuanian government closed border crossings Friday evening due to multiple balloons smuggling illegal cigarettes from Belarus. The closure will be extended Monday through Wednesday, and possibly longer.
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