US EditionLithuania extends closure of Belarus border crossings after balloons enter its airspace
- Lithuania's Cabinet said Wednesday it will keep its border crossings with Belarus closed for a month, closing Šalčininkai and restricting Medininkai near Vilnius.
- On Wednesday, balloons used to smuggle cigarettes caused repeated disruption at Vilnius Airport, leading to border closures for a month, with some exemptions, Lithuanian officials say.
- Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said some Lithuanian and EU citizens and Russians with transit documents will still be allowed through Medininkai crossing.
- Lukashenko argued on Tuesday that Lithuania's move is a `mad scam` and part of a `hybrid war`, urging Vilnius to track down smuggling networks, and he said Belarus would apologize if involved.
- Given its location on the alliance's eastern flank, Lithuania, NATO and European Union member, borders Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Russia-allied Belarus, with officials viewing the balloon disruption as deliberate.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Lithuania claims that the balloons are being sent by smugglers transporting illegal cigarettes - It also accuses Belarusian President Lukashenko of not putting an end to this practice
Belarusian balloons pose new threat in Putin’s hybrid war against Europe
Lithuanian officials have accused neighboring Belarus of using balloons to violate EU airspace and disrupt air traffic as part of the Kremlin's ongoing hybrid war against Europe, writes Hanna Liubakova.
Vilnius responded to the Lukashenko regime's hybrid attacks.
Lithuania decided to close its border on Wednesday, 29 October, with Belarus for one month, until 30 November. A retaliatory measure against its neighbour who sent mass weather balloons with cigarette smuggling. To avoid any incident, Vilnius airport had to close for several nights in a row last week.
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