For the third time in a week, Lithuania found itself grappling with a peculiar and disruptive threat drifting across its eastern border: weather balloons, suspected of ferrying contraband cigarettes, repeatedly violated Lithuanian airspace, triggering airport shutdowns, border closures, and a growing sense of alarm in Vilnius. As officials scramble to respond, the government is now weighing some of its most serious measures yet, including a prolonged closure of the border with Belarus and new restrictions on the critical transit corridor to Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.
The latest round of disruptions began in earnest on Friday, October 24, 2025, when radar detected a cluster of balloons drifting in from Belarus. Vilnius Airport, the country’s busiest air hub, was forced to halt operations. According to airport authorities, this closure affected around 30 flights and roughly 4,000 passengers—a logistical headache with ripple effects for travelers and airlines alike. The following night, the chaos repeated: on Saturday, October 25, the airport was shut for six hours, with dozens of flights cancelled or rerouted. Kaunas Airport, Lithuania’s second-largest, also faced obstacles during the week, underscoring the scale of the challenge.
Border security was similarly impacted. The Medininkai and Šalčininkai checkpoints—key crossings with Belarus—were temporarily closed late Saturday night after more balloons were detected entering Lithuanian airspace. These closures, while brief, signaled a willingness by Lithuanian authorities to act quickly and decisively in the face of what President Gitanas Nausėda has described as a “hybrid attack.” In a statement carried by public broadcaster LRT, the president’s office declared, “The president sees the recent incidents and airport disruptions as a hybrid attack on Lithuania, which must be responded to in both symmetrical and asymmetrical ways. In the coming days, the government should propose ways to respond. Among the options that should be considered are the prolonged closure of the border with Belarus and the restriction of transit to Kaliningrad.”
These incidents are not occurring in a vacuum. Lithuania’s border with Belarus has long been a focal point for cigarette smuggling—an illicit trade that has only grown more sophisticated as authorities have tightened controls. After Lithuania erected a physical barrier and strengthened its border security, smugglers began launching unguided weather balloons to ferry contraband across the frontier. The balloons, drifting unpredictably, pose a unique challenge: they can enter controlled airspace with little warning, forcing airports to close as a precaution. As BNS reported, “weather balloons became one of the most popular ways to smuggle cigarettes” following the latest border fortifications.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, speaking to reporters after another tense weekend, did not rule out the possibility of a long-term border closure. “We’ve had two sleepless nights. Admittedly, the situation yesterday was better than on Friday. I want to clarify that only a few weather balloons were recorded—radar displays show more reflections, but that doesn’t mean the same number of balloons were actually flying,” she explained, according to Delfi. The prime minister emphasized that airport closures were enacted solely for passenger safety, and that “the possibility of a longer-term border closure is not excluded.” She added, “If approved, an extraordinary cabinet meeting will be held,” and noted that any closure would be indefinite.
These measures, while dramatic, are not being considered lightly. The government’s response has been multi-pronged: Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovičius convened a meeting over the weekend to coordinate technical and security measures, while diplomatic missions issued formal warnings to Belarus. Lithuania also lodged a formal protest with Minsk earlier in the week, condemning the repeated airspace violations. Last week, the government toughened criminal liability for smugglers, consolidating cases and seeking compensation for damages caused by airport disruptions. “Smugglers should not expect their responsibility to depend on the number of cigarettes,” Ruginienė warned.
One question on many minds: why not simply shoot down the balloons? The answer, according to the prime minister, lies in the distinction between wartime and peacetime protocols. “There is wartime and there is peacetime. In wartime, we are ready to shoot down any objects entering our airspace—all relevant structures are prepared for that. But we live in peacetime, so we must analyze and look for other solutions that would have fewer consequences,” she said. Even kinetic measures to force the balloons to land, she cautioned, carry risks: “That could have serious consequences if a balloon were to fall from a great height onto a residential area.”
To address the technical challenge, Lithuania is seeking help from companies specializing in innovative technologies, hoping to find safer ways to detect and neutralize the balloons without endangering air traffic or people on the ground. Meanwhile, the interior and transport ministries are reviewing additional counter-measures, and the National Security Commission is set to meet on Monday, October 27, to finalize an action plan.
The balloon incidents have also revived debate over the security and economic implications of the Kaliningrad transit corridor, which runs across Lithuanian territory. Since 2022, Lithuania has implemented European Union sanctions restricting the movement of certain goods to and from the Russian exclave, but passenger and non-sanctioned freight have continued under EU guidance. The current discussion, sparked by the smuggling incidents, now extends to security-driven limitations that go beyond the sanctions framework. Any new restrictions on Kaliningrad transit would be significant, potentially impacting regional trade and travel.
Regional tensions have further complicated matters. On October 23, Lithuanian officials reported a separate airspace violation involving Russian military aircraft operating from Kaliningrad. The incursion, though brief, prompted a NATO air policing response and heightened concerns about the vulnerability of Lithuanian airspace. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has called on NATO to introduce rotational air defense measures “as soon as possible” to protect the country from drones, weather probes, and airplanes.
As the government prepares for its next steps, the mood in Vilnius is one of vigilance mixed with frustration. The weekend’s events were the third such round of closures tied to balloon incursions this year, and officials say they are prepared to escalate measures if the incidents persist. For now, Lithuania remains on high alert, ready to close its border with Belarus at short notice should more balloons appear. The outcome of the National Security Commission’s meeting on Monday will likely shape the country’s response in the days and weeks ahead.
For Lithuania, the challenge is as much about defending its borders as it is about safeguarding the daily rhythms of life—from the smooth operation of its airports to the security of its trade routes. The coming days will reveal just how far the government is willing to go to restore calm and send a message to those testing the limits of its sovereignty.
