The Lithuanian government has officially declared a state of emergency throughout the country due to systematic violations of its airspace by weather balloons launched from Belarus. According to Lithuanian authorities, these balloons are used to smuggle cigarettes and pose a threat to national security, civil aviation, and public order.
According to a government decree adopted on the morning of December 9, a state of emergency is being imposed “in connection with the continuing threat to the national security interests of the state, as well as the danger to the life, health, property of people and the environment posed by attacks with balloons carrying contraband launched from the territory of Belarus.”
Since the beginning of 2025, around 600 weather balloons and almost 200 drones carrying contraband have entered Lithuanian airspace. In the last week alone, 19 balloons carrying 35,000 packs of cigarettes were detected. These incidents have repeatedly disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport (more than 10 times in recent months) and once at Kaunas Airport. As a result, 320 flights were delayed, affecting approximately 47,000 passengers, and the airports were shut down for a total of nearly 60 hours.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said that the state of emergency would allow agencies to coordinate their actions more closely and involve military units. “This is the optimal form for today, but we do not rule out further measures,” she said after a meeting with Seimas faction leaders on December 5.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko denies any involvement by the Belarusian government, claiming that the smuggling is organized by Lithuanian citizens who purchase cigarettes in Belarus for resale in the EU. “We are only selling goods legally,” he said.
Lithuania accuses Belarus of a “hybrid attack” and calls on the EU to tighten sanctions. Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovich discusses the issue with the European Commission.
This is not the first time: a state of emergency was declared in 2021 due to migrants and in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Experts note an escalation of tensions between Vilnius and Minsk against the backdrop of geopolitical conflicts.
The situation remains dynamic. The Lithuanian government is prepared to “take further action” if the flow of probes does not stop.