Lithuania has declared a state of emergency due to the continuous launches of contraband balloons originating from Belarus. Lithuanian authorities view these incidents as a deliberate hybrid attack that threatens civil aviation safety and the nation’s economy.
The declaration of a state of emergency is intended to ensure security. Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovich stated that “the measures applied will be targeted and proportionate, aimed exclusively at the organizers and perpetrators of illegal activities,” and will not inconvenience the general public.
The Minister did not specify which measures would be implemented, but they are likely to involve targeted operations against smuggling groups, utilizing the technical capabilities of the armed forces.
Impact of Contraband Balloons on Civil Aviation
NEWSROOM IN notes that Lithuania has faced a series of hostile actions from Belarus, which Lithuanian authorities describe as a “deliberate hybrid attack.” Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene stated that Minsk’s actions, including launching contraband-carrying weather balloons, could be classified as terrorism.
Each balloon is viewed as a potential risk to the lives of air passengers, requiring airports to halt operations when necessary to ensure safety. This has become necessary almost daily over the past two months. According to Lithuanian Airports (LTOU), airspace over Vilnius was closed 13 times between October and November, and over Kaunas once. These incidents affected approximately 45,000 passengers and 320 flights.
The situation did not improve in December.
Last week, the head of Lithuanian diplomacy, Kęstutis Budrys, requested assistance from allies in combating hybrid threats during a conversation with NATO chief Mark Rutte. He also invited allies to test new defensive measures against such threats, including anti-drone systems, in Lithuania.
Budrys stressed that these actions “pose a threat not only to Lithuania’s security but also to the entire region.” He added that the Belarusian regime is deliberately disrupting civil aviation and sowing confusion.
It is important to note that while the Belarusian authorities regularly receive protest notes from Lithuania, they do not impede the smugglers’ activities. This leads to the conclusion that the entire situation involving the regular violation of Lithuanian airspace is controlled by the Belarusian authorities.
Previously, they utilized people to engineer an artificial migration crisis on the borders with Lithuania and Poland. Now, it appears they have found a less costly way to quarrel with their neighbors: launching contraband balloons—especially since they have accomplices, namely smugglers, within Lithuania itself.
