Overview
- Lithuania asked parliament to let the armed forces operate alongside police and border guards, including powers to stop and search vehicles, restrict access to areas, and detain suspects.
- Prosecutors opened an investigation as intelligence services supply assessments on whether Belarusian state actors are tied to the incursions.
- Civil aviation has faced repeated shutdowns, with Vilnius Airport closed for over 60 hours since October and disruptions affecting more than 350 flights and roughly 51,000 passengers.
- Officials report hundreds of airspace violations this year, with the interior ministry citing about 600 smuggling balloons and 197 drones, typically used to ferry contraband cigarettes.
- EU institutions are advancing an expanded sanctions framework to target those responsible for the airspace incursions, while Minsk denies involvement and has called for talks.