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Lithuania will begin to eliminate aerial devices transporting cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

The measure comes after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close on several occasions recently, including at the weekend, with the government also closing cross-border movement during each incident.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

According to official declarations, "authorities will not hesitate to employ even the most severe actions when our airspace is violated."

Official Measures

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to shoot down balloons.

Concerning border measures, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access between the two countries, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, however general movement continues suspended.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to halt these operations," she said.

There has been no immediate response from the neighboring government.

Diplomatic Measures

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners regarding the aerial device concerns and may discuss activating the alliance's consultation mechanism - a protocol allowing member state consultation on any issue of concern, specifically concerning defense matters - the Prime Minister concluded.

Flight Cancellations

Lithuanian airports were closed three times at the weekend due to weather balloons from Belarus, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, per transportation authority data.

In recent weeks, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

The phenomenon is not new: by autumn measurements, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, according to official statements, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

European Context

Additional aviation facilities - including in Copenhagen and Munich - faced comparable aviation security challenges, with unauthorized drone observations, in recent weeks.