Move to close Vilnius, Kaunas airports and border comes after helium balloons drifted into the country’s territory.
Published On 24 Oct 2025
NATO member Lithuania has closed its two biggest airports and shut crossings on its border with Belarus after helium weather balloons drifted into its territory, the third such incident in the Baltic nation this month.
European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings and other air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen, Munich and the Baltic region.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 items
- list 1 of 3Lithuanian president says Russian jets violated the country’s airspace
- list 2 of 3Military and civil drills in Lithuania as concerns over Russia increase
- list 3 of 3US deploys aircraft carrier amid hardening stance towards Venezuela
end of list
The Vilnius and Kaunas airports were closed on Friday for safety reasons until 2am (23: 00 GMT), while the Belarus border crossings will remain shut until midday on Sunday, authorities said.
Lithuania has said balloons are sent by smugglers transporting contraband cigarettes, but it also blames Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for not stopping the practice.
“The National Security Commission will meet next week to assess … what can be done short-term that would be painful to the smugglers and to Lukashenko’s regime, which allows them to thrive,” Lithuania’s Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said in a statement.
Lithuania’s National Cr