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Lithuania will begin to eliminate aerial devices transporting contraband tobacco across the border, the country's leader announced.

The measure comes after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace forced Vilnius Airport to close on several occasions recently, with weekend disruptions, accompanied by temporary closures of cross-border movement during each incident.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement the strictest possible measures against airspace violations."

Government Response

Detailing the measures during a briefing, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "every required action" to shoot down balloons.

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, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to the neighboring nation stating that asymmetric operations face opposition across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to stop such attacks," government officials declared.

There has been no immediate response from Belarus.

International Consultation

Authorities will discuss with international allies about the security challenges presented while potentially considering invocation of the NATO consultation clause - a request for consultation by a Nato member country about national security issues, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Airport Disruptions

National air facilities experienced triple closures over the weekend because of aerial devices crossing the international border, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, based on regional media reports.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, according to emergency management officials.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early October, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders across the frontier in recent months, an NCMC spokesman said, while 966 were recorded last year.

European Context

Additional aviation facilities - including in Copenhagen and Munich - have also been affected by air incursions, with unauthorized drone observations, in recent weeks.