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Authorities have decided to eliminate helium balloons carrying contraband tobacco across the border, its prime minister has warned.

This decision follows after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace disrupted air traffic on several occasions recently, with weekend disruptions, with the government also closing frontier checkpoints during these events.

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

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "authorities will not hesitate to employ maximum response protocols during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Official Measures

Outlining the strategy to media, Ruginiene said the army was taking "all necessary measures" to eliminate aerial threats.

Concerning border measures, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access across the international border, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition here, and we will take all the strictest measures to halt these operations," the Prime Minister emphasized.

There has been no immediate response from Minsk officials.

Diplomatic Measures

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners regarding the aerial device concerns with possible discussions about implementing Nato's Article 4 - a provision enabling alliance discussion about national security issues, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

Lithuanian airports were closed three times at the weekend due to weather balloons originating from neighboring territory, impacting over hundred flights and thousands of travelers, according to Baltic News Service.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, per national security agency reports.

These incidents continue previous patterns: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, an NCMC spokesman said, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

European Context

International air travel hubs - covering northern and central European sites - experienced similar aerial disruptions, including drone sightings, in recent weeks.