Lithuania on Tuesday declared a state of emergency after officials said smuggled balloons launched from Belarus were endangering public safety and repeatedly disrupting civilian air traffic.
Authorities accuse Belarus of allowing smugglers to use weather balloons to transport contraband cigarettes across the border, a method that has forced Vilnius airport to halt operations on multiple occasions. Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said the emergency measures were necessary not only because of the threat to civil aviation but also for “interests of national security.”
The announcement, delivered during a livestreamed government meeting, expands the military’s authority to act jointly with police or independently, though officials did not specify how those powers will be applied. The government has not yet clarified how long the emergency will remain in place.
Belarus Denies Responsibility, Accuses Lithuania of Provocations
Belarus — which permitted Russian forces to use its territory during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine — has rejected Lithuania’s claims. Minsk has instead accused Vilnius of staging provocations, including allegedly sending a drone to drop “extremist material.” Lithuania, a member of both NATO and the European Union, dismissed the accusations as baseless.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on Dec. 1 that balloon incursions were worsening, describing them as a “hybrid attack” by Belarus that was “completely unacceptable.”
Previous Emergencies Amid Border Tensions
This is the latest in a series of security-related emergency measures Lithuania has enacted in response to pressure from Belarus and Russia. In 2021, Vilnius declared a state of emergency along the Belarus border over what it called illegal migration engineered by Minsk. A year later, Lithuania imposed restrictions on free speech amid fears of potential Russian propaganda following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The new balloon-linked emergency underscores continuing tensions on NATO’s eastern flank, where Lithuania has repeatedly warned of destabilising tactics by Belarus as regional security challenges intensify.
