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Lithuania will begin to shoot down helium balloons carrying contraband tobacco across the border, government officials confirmed.

This decision follows after foreign objects crossing the border disrupted air traffic on several occasions recently, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

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

According to official declarations, "we are ready to take even the most severe actions when our airspace is violated."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to eliminate aerial threats.

About the border closure, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues between the two countries, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, however general movement continues suspended.

"This represents our clear message to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Minsk officials.

Diplomatic Measures

Authorities will discuss with international allies about the security challenges presented and may discuss activating the alliance's consultation mechanism - a provision enabling alliance discussion about national security issues, especially related to its security - she added.

Airport Disruptions

National air facilities experienced triple closures over the weekend because of aerial devices originating from neighboring territory, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, per transportation authority data.

During the current month, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: by autumn measurements, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders from Belarus this year, according to official statements, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

Regional Situation

Additional aviation facilities - covering northern and central European sites - experienced similar aerial disruptions, including drone sightings, over past months.