Lithuania has declared a nationwide state of emergency after a wave of illicit cargo balloons launched from Belarus began crossing into its territory, posing a “direct threat” to national security, civilian aviation, and public safety.

In a statement issued Monday, the Lithuanian government said the extraordinary measure was triggered by the “continued hostile actions conducted through smuggling balloons originating from Belarus,” which carry illegal cigarettes and other contraband across the border via improvised meteorological devices.

‘A threat to lives, property and the environment’

According to the government decree, the decision was taken due to “ongoing threats to national security interests, and the risks posed to life, health, property, and the environment.”

Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said the public would not experience disruptions in daily life, emphasizing that the move was aimed primarily at strengthening operational capacities of security forces.

Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič, appointed as head of the emergency operations headquarters, stated that the order grants military personnel enhanced authority to act jointly with the Ministry of Interior units or independently when necessary. “This framework will allow us to respond faster and more effectively to incursions,” he said.

Airports repeatedly shut down due to balloon threat

The Lithuanian Cabinet reported that Vilnius International Airport has been forced to halt operations for more than 60 hours since October due to smuggling balloons drifting into the flight path, disrupting over 350 flights and affecting approximately 51,000 passengers.

Authorities said similar balloon-related navigation traces have been detected above Kaunas Airport and even in Lithuania’s interior regions—one of the factors prompting the imposition of a nationwide emergency.

Tensions with Belarus escalate

Relations between Vilnius and Minsk sharply deteriorated in October, when Lithuania closed border crossing points after an increase in cigarette smuggling operations allegedly conducted using meteorological balloons. The closures left nearly 1,800 Lithuanian trucks stranded in Belarus.

Belarus initially restricted the movement of these vehicles, later allowing drivers to leave while retaining the trucks in secured parking areas. Lithuania reopened the border temporarily to retrieve the vehicles, yet the dispute remained unresolved.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed Lithuania’s accusations, claiming that “Lithuanian smugglers themselves” were responsible for deploying the balloons to transport Belarus-made cigarettes into EU markets such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

A growing regional security concern

Lithuania has warned that the tactic—once dismissed as unconventional—now represents a hybrid threat combining smuggling operations with deliberate attempts to disrupt critical infrastructure. Authorities say some balloons travel long distances, equipped with navigation aids that allow smugglers to drop contraband far from border zones.

European security experts note that such methods can endanger aviation safety, spread hazardous materials, and complicate airspace monitoring, particularly when launched near busy civilian corridors.

Lithuania’s government has stressed that the state of emergency will remain in place until the threat is contained and Belarus ceases activities described by Vilnius as “deliberate destabilization efforts.” (ILKHA)