Lithuania seeks to close Belarus border for unspecified period

(MENAFN) Lithuania has announced plans to indefinitely close its border with Belarus and authorize the military to shoot down any balloons entering its airspace, after a series of aerial incursions disrupted air travel and border operations over the past week.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene unveiled the measures on Monday following a meeting of the National Security Commission, where officials agreed on “a clear algorithm” for government action after Vilnius Airport was forced to suspend operations four times in one week due to balloon sightings.

Ruginiene confirmed that the government has already finalized its decision to shut the border with limited exceptions. “This means that diplomats and diplomatic mail will be able to move, and our and EU citizens will also be able to enter us from Belarus, but all other movement will be closed,” she said. “This is how we send a signal to Belarus and say that no hybrid attack will be tolerated here, we will take all the strictest measures to stop such attacks.”

The prime minister added that Lithuania’s military is authorized to use “kinetic means” — such as firearms — to destroy any balloons crossing into Lithuanian territory. She also revealed that Vilnius and Brussels are coordinating an additional sanctions package against Belarus.

“This will be done soon. We are also actively consulting and communicating with our allies and our neighbors Poland and Latvia. Any of our actions are also coordinated with them, we are not a separate state, we are part of NATO and the EU. We coordinate everything we do with them,” Ruginiene emphasized.

The government also plans to introduce amendments to the Criminal Code that would make imprisonment the “highest and most severe” penalty for smuggling-related crimes. The proposal is expected to be presented at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Ruginiene’s remarks followed a weekend of repeated airspace disruptions. Late Sunday night, Lithuania temporarily closed the Medininkai and Salcininkai border checkpoints after detecting multiple balloons entering from Belarus. According to the country’s crisis management service, crossings were halted at around 10:10 p.m. local time.

Vilnius Airport likewise suspended air traffic after reporting balloons flying toward the city, before reopening early Monday morning. Similar closures occurred on Friday and Saturday nights, marking three consecutive nights of interruptions, in addition to an earlier suspension on Tuesday when “meteorological balloons” were spotted.

Lithuanian border authorities suspect that these balloons are being used for smuggling operations. “Our information and experience show that air balloons have so far been used solely for smuggling,” border chief Rustamas Liubajevas said in a recent interview.

The escalation underscores growing tensions between Vilnius and Minsk, with Lithuania accusing Belarus of engaging in hybrid attacks involving migrants, drones, and now unidentified balloons. The indefinite border closure would represent one of Lithuania’s most severe responses to Belarusian provocations to date.

MENAFN27102025000045017640ID1110252931