Balloon Smuggling Sparks Lithuania-Belarus Border Closure

Lithuania has announced that its border with Belarus will remain closed to most travelers until the end of November, a response to recent incidents involving balloons used for smuggling goods like cigarettes. These aerial disruptions have forced Lithuanian airports to close on five occasions this month, prompting severe measures.

Authorities have apprehended suspected smugglers and imposed fines, while Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene referred to the balloon incidents as hybrid attacks against Lithuania. Ruginiene indicated that these border restrictions could be extended if necessary to safeguard national security.

Exceptions to the closure include diplomats and citizens from EU, NATO nations, and Ukraine leaving Belarus. Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko criticized the border shutdown as part of a Western-led hybrid warfare against Belarus and Russia, signifying rising tensions in the region.