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Authorities have decided to shoot down aerial devices transporting illicit goods from Belarus, government officials confirmed.

This action responds after unauthorized aerial incursions forced Vilnius Airport to close repeatedly in recent days, including at the weekend, while authorities suspended frontier checkpoints during these events.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "our nation stands prepared to implement even the most severe actions against airspace violations."

National Security Actions

Detailing the measures during a briefing, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to intercept unauthorized devices.

Concerning border measures, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel for cross-border diplomatic missions, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, but no other movement will be allowed.

"This represents our clear message to foreign authorities and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," she said.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Minsk officials.

International Consultation

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners over the threat posed from the balloons while potentially considering invocation of the alliance's consultation mechanism - a request for consultation by a Nato member country on any issue of concern, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Flight Cancellations

National air facilities experienced triple closures at the weekend due to weather balloons crossing the international border, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, according to Baltic News Service.

In recent weeks, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, per national security agency reports.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: through early October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders across the frontier in recent months, an NCMC spokesman said, while 966 were recorded last year.

European Context

International air travel hubs - including in Copenhagen and Munich - have also been affected by air incursions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, in recent weeks.