Lithuania has announced the indefinite closure of its land border crossings with Belarus following a series of incidents involving meteorological balloons entering Lithuanian airspace from Belarus. Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė described these incursions as a hybrid attack against Lithuania.
After a meeting of the National Security Commission on Monday, Ruginienė stated that a coordinated response plan has been developed to combat the so-called “smuggling balloons.” The plan will be implemented by various ministries and state institutions.
“We are in constant consultation and communication with our allies and neighbors — Poland and Latvia. All our actions are coordinated with them. We are not an isolated state; we are part of NATO and the European Union,” Ruginienė emphasized.
In the past week alone, Vilnius Airport was forced to suspend operations four times due to Belarusian balloons entering Lithuanian airspace.
The Lithuanian government considers these incursions part of a broader pattern of hybrid pressure from Minsk, combining political provocation, border destabilization, and disinformation tactics. The closure of the border crossings marks one of Lithuania’s strongest responses yet to Belarusian actions.
