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Balloon Smuggling From Belarus Shuts Vilnius Airport, Disrupts 30 Flights

Officials call the launches a coordinated operation requiring a top-level security meeting.

Overview

  • Vilnius Airport reopened at 6:30 a.m. after a night closure that diverted or canceled about 30 flights and affected roughly 4,000 passengers.
  • Border guards reported several dozen balloons, intercepted 12, and detained four suspects, with criminal intelligence operations continuing.
  • Authorities say the balloons were launched from multiple sites in Belarus as part of a coordinated effort under active investigation.
  • Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė convened the National Security Committee and urged Belarus to take responsibility and cooperate to prevent repeat incursions.
  • Lithuania’s crisis center cites 487 balloon shipments intercepted this year alongside 45 drone seizures and over 771,000 packs of cigarettes, with Poland and Latvia reporting similar cases.