Lithuania’s government announced a state of emergency on Tuesday due to security concerns stemming from meteorological balloons originating from Belarus, a country allied with Russia. These balloons have been breaching Lithuanian airspace, leading to the closure of the main airport multiple times and causing inconvenience to thousands of travelers. The disruptions are reminiscent of previous NATO airspace violations during the Ukrainian conflict.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė emphasized the need for stringent measures to counter the Belarusian hybrid attack and safeguard affected areas. The decision was made following a cabinet meeting in the Baltic state, a NATO member actively supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.
The national emergency declaration empowers the military to enhance border surveillance in collaboration with other security services and grants additional authority from parliament, allowing for searches and detentions. The government assured that the impact on civilians would be minimal.
While the balloons were initially linked to cigarette smuggling, Lithuanian authorities believe the deliberate increase in balloon numbers and altered trajectories signal orchestrated disruptions by Belarus. The Vilnius international airport faced over 60 hours of closure since October, affecting hundreds of flights and tens of thousands of passengers.
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič disclosed that prosecutors were investigating the balloon incidents, with intelligence agencies providing insights into potential connections with the Minsk regime. The Minister highlighted the lack of Belarusian efforts to stop the balloon senders as evidence of a hybrid attack.
In response to the airspace violations, Lithuania closed two border crossings in October. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko criticized Lithuania’s border closure as part of a ‘hybrid war,’ denying any involvement in attacks and downplaying the threat posed by the balloons. He urged negotiations between Minsk and Vilnius to resolve the situation.
Accusations of destabilizing activities by Belarus, including cyberattacks and migrant influxes, have strained relations with Lithuania, Poland, and other EU nations in the region. Political analyst Valery Karbalevich suggested that the balloon escalation coincided with Lukashenko’s successful bid to lift U.S. sanctions on Belavia, Belarus’s national airline, as a tactic to pressure the EU into easing sanctions through negotiations.
