Lithuania warns of border closure with Belarus after smuggler balloons enter airspace

Lithuania has threatened to close its border with Belarus if smuggler balloons cross into its territory again, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene announced on Wednesday. The warning follows an incident in which dozens of helium weather balloons carrying contraband cigarettes drifted into Lithuanian airspace near the capital.

Vilnius Airport resumed flights on Wednesday after a temporary shutdown triggered by the balloons entering the city’s airspace overnight. The National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) reported the reopening of border crossings with Belarus that had been closed in response to the disruption.

"If such major crossings of balloons over our border are repeated, we will react immediately and close our border with Belarus... We will make no concessions to Belarus," Ruginiene said during a press briefing. She did not specify how long any potential border closure would last.

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Authorities found about a dozen of the balloons on the ground and arrested four individuals in connection with the smuggling operation. The incident caused significant disruption, affecting roughly 30 flights and over 4,000 passengers.

This is the second occasion this month that contraband cigarette-carrying balloons from Belarus have interfered with air traffic at Vilnius Airport, located just 30 kilometres from the Belarusian border. Following the incident, Lithuania shut both of its border crossings with Belarus, a close ally of Russia.

The NCMC noted the increasing frequency of such incidents amid wider concerns over security in European airspace. Recently, several European airports, including those in Copenhagen and Munich, as well as other locations in the Baltic region, have faced operational chaos due to drone sightings and incursions. Russia has denied any involvement in these events.

The situation underscores growing tensions between Lithuania and Belarus amid broader geopolitical challenges in the region.

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Meanwhile, a senior Belarusian diplomat held meetings with Europeans after his country sent out invitations last month, in what European diplomats called an overture to reduce Minsk's isolation after a thaw with Washington under Donald Trump.

Senior officials from Belarus have largely been persona non grata in the EU since Europe imposed sanctions in the wake of a sweeping crackdown on opposition protests following a disputed election in 2020. Sanctions have been tightened repeatedly since Minsk backed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

But at least one European diplomat said he had had a recent meeting with Yuri Ambrazevich, a former deputy foreign minister of Belarus, posted in March to Rome as Minsk's ambassador to the Vatican and tasked with reaching out to European countries.