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Lithuania will begin to shoot down helium balloons carrying illicit goods from Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This decision follows after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace necessitated airport closures multiple times over the past week, affecting holiday travel, while authorities suspended Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

International border access continues restricted due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

The government leader stated, "authorities will not hesitate to employ the strictest possible measures during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Government Response

Detailing the measures during a briefing, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to intercept unauthorized devices.

About the border closure, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues across the international border, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted here, and we will take all the strictest measures to prevent similar incidents," government officials declared.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from the neighboring government.

International Consultation

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners over the threat posed from the balloons with possible discussions about implementing the alliance's consultation mechanism - a request for consultation by a Nato member country on any issue of concern, especially related to its security - the Prime Minister concluded.

Airport Disruptions

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns at the weekend due to weather balloons originating from neighboring territory, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, per transportation authority data.

In recent weeks, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

These incidents continue previous patterns: as of 6 October, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania across the frontier in recent months, an NCMC spokesman said, while 966 were recorded last year.

Regional Situation

International air travel hubs - such as Scandinavian and German locations - have also been affected by air incursions, with unauthorized drone observations, during current period.