---
title: "Lithuania says it will shoot down Belarus smuggler balloons disrupting air traffic"
description: "Lithuania's Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Monday her country will begin to shoot down smuggler balloons crossing the border from Belarus, which have repeatedly interrupted the Baltic nation's air traffic."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-10-27-lithuania-says-it-will-shoot-down-belarus-smuggler-balloons-disrupting-air-traffic/"
published: "2025-10-27T12:49:46"
updated: "2025-10-27T12:49:48"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 248
---

# Lithuania says it will shoot down Belarus smuggler balloons disrupting air traffic

> Lithuania's Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Monday her country will begin to shoot down smuggler balloons crossing the border from Belarus, which have repeatedly interrupted the Baltic nation's air traffic.

By Reuters · Published 27 October 2025, 14:49 SAST · Updated 27 October 2025, 14:49 SAST

## Key points
- In a week where Lithuania played a game of aerial whack-a-mole with balloons allegedly smuggling contraband from Belarus, the country not only closed its borders but also hinted at invoking NATO's collective defense clause, proving that sometimes, it's not just the airspace that's under siege—it's also the very fabric of European security.
- Lithuania closed Vilnius Airport four times last week due to balloon incursions linked to smuggling operations from Belarus.
- Authorities blame Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko for failing to curb these activities, labeling the incidents as "hybrid attacks."
- Border crossings with Belarus are now restricted to diplomats and EU citizens, with Lithuania considering invoking NATO article 4 for security consultations.
- Recent airspace violations, including incursions by Russian military aircraft, are viewed as calculated provocations aimed at testing NATO's resolve.

## Content

Lithuania closed Vilnius Airport four times last week after balloons entered its airspace, and each time temporarily shut its Belarus border crossings in response to the incidents.

Lithuania has said balloons are sent by smugglers transporting contraband cigarettes from Belarus into the EU, but it also blames Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for not stopping the practice.

There was no immediate comment from Belarus.

Ruginiene called the incidents "hybrid attacks" and said the Belarus border crossings will be closed except for travel by diplomats and by European Union citizens leaving the neighbouring country.

"Today we have decided to take the strictest measures. There is no other way," Ruginiene told a press conference, adding that NATO member Lithuania may also discuss invoking NATO article 4 security consultations.

European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings and other air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen, Munich and the Baltic region.

On Thursday, Lithuania said two Russian military aircraft had entered its airspace for about 18 seconds, prompting a formal protest and a reaction from NATO forces, while Russia denied the incident.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said recent airspace violations should not be regarded as isolated incidents.

"These are calculated provocations designed to destabilize, distract (and) test NATO's resolve," he said on social media X.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Additional reporting by Moscow bureau; Writing by Stine Jacobsen; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Hugh Lawson)