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Lithuania will begin to intercept and destroy aerial devices transporting cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This decision follows after foreign objects crossing the border necessitated airport closures repeatedly in recent days, affecting holiday travel, with the government also closing frontier checkpoints during these events.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

The government leader stated, "we are ready to take the strictest possible measures against airspace violations."

Official Measures

Announcing the actions at a press conference, officials stated defense units were executing "complete operational protocols" to eliminate aerial threats.

Concerning border measures, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access between the two countries, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"Through these actions, we communicate to the neighboring nation declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted here, and we will take all the strictest measures to halt these operations," the Prime Minister emphasized.

There has been no immediate response from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

Lithuania plans to consult its allies about the security challenges presented and may discuss activating Nato's Article 4 - a request for consultation by a Nato member country on any issue of concern, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

National air facilities experienced triple closures at the weekend due to weather balloons crossing the international border, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, based on regional media reports.

During the current month, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early 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, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, over past months.