Lithuania declares a state of emergency – “hybrid attack”

“Unacceptable hybrid attack”

Because of balloons from Belarus: Lithuania declares a state of emergency

Lithuania declares “emergency” due to ongoing smuggling of balloons from Belarus. National security and air traffic are threatened.

The Lithuanian government has declared a national “emergency” due to the ongoing intrusion of smuggling balloons coming from Belarus. Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovich justifies the move not only with disruptions to air traffic, but also with national security interests.

The “emergency” authorizes the government and local authorities to allocate additional resources to the fight against the balloons. “We do not rule out going further,” added the head of government. A possible stronger step would be to declare a state of emergency.

The country’s two largest airports in Vilnius and Kaunas had to repeatedly suspend operations due to the intrusion of smuggling balloons. According to officials, the balloons, which fly up to ten kilometers high, are specifically sent into the flight paths of airports and represent an attack on civil aviation.

Smugglers have long used the balloons to transport cigarettes, but airports have only been forced to close in recent months.

Belarus then prevented Lithuanian trucks from using its roads and only allowed them out of the country after paying a fee. Thousands of Lithuanian trucks remain stuck in Belarus. Minsk is calling for consultations with the Foreign Ministry in Vilnius, while Lithuania is calling for tougher sanctions against Belarus.