How ‘cigarette smuggling balloons’ in Lithuania disrupted flights, led to border closure with Belarus

Lithuania's prime minister said the military has been given permission to shoot down the balloons. The latest incident affected 47 flights and 7,000 passengers.

Updated on: Oct 28, 2025, 13:25:17 IST

By HT News Desk

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Lithuania has threatened to shut its border with Belarus indefinitely after smugglers’ balloons disrupted the country’s air traffic amid ongoing tensions along NATO's eastern flank.

In this undated photo, an officer inspects a balloon used to carry cigarettes into Lithuania. (AP)

After a national security meeting on Monday, officials in Lithuania said that they are ready to send a signal to Belarus and that they will take the strictest measures to stop such attacks, Bloomberg reported.

‘Smuggling balloons’

Lithuania demanded that Belarus, a close ally of Russia, prevent smugglers from sending over weather balloons that are loaded with contraband cigarettes. It closed down its border with Belarus on Sunday night after the latest breach of its airspace.

The country's prime minister, Inga Ruginiene, said on Monday that the government would decide on Wednesday whether to permanently maintain the closure. “This is a signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be tolerated here and we will take all strictest measures to stop such attacks,” Ruginiene said.

Security threats in Lithuania

From Sunday night to early Monday morning, the latest incident affected 47 flights and 7,000 passengers, the news agency reported.

Lithuania, a European Union member that borders Russia and Belarus, remains on high alert over security risks due to a drone incursion and increased electronic warfare, which officials have blamed on Moscow. The country, a strong supporter of Ukraine, has been strengthening its defences to counter possible Russian aggression and sabotage.

Notably, Vilnius airport suspended flights on Sunday for the fourth time in a week because of the balloons, which smugglers use to move goods into the EU’s black market. The sharp rise in such cases has raised concerns that the operations are supported by the government of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The Lithuanian prime minister said the military has been given permission to shoot down the balloons. Authorities in Vilnius said that intercepting them is challenging, as they can fly up to eight kilometres high and lack navigation systems.

With inputs from agencies

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