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Authorities have decided to intercept and destroy aerial devices transporting illicit goods from Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This action responds after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close repeatedly in recent days, with weekend disruptions, with the government also closing Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

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

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement maximum response protocols during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues for cross-border diplomatic missions, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, but no other movement will be allowed.

"This represents our clear message to Belarus declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to halt these operations," government officials declared.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Minsk officials.

Diplomatic Measures

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners over the threat posed from the balloons and may discuss activating Nato's Article 4 - a protocol allowing member state consultation about national security issues, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Airport Disruptions

Lithuanian airports were closed three times over the weekend because of aerial devices originating from neighboring territory, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, based on regional media reports.

In recent weeks, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, per national security agency reports.

The phenomenon is not new: through early October, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania across the frontier in recent months, according to official statements, while 966 were recorded last year.

European Context

Other European airports - such as Scandinavian and German locations - faced comparable aviation security challenges, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, during current period.