Lithuania to shoot down illicit aerial devices, PM warns.

Authorities have decided to shoot down helium balloons carrying illicit goods from Belarus, the country's leader announced.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border forced Vilnius Airport to close repeatedly in recent days, affecting holiday travel, accompanied by temporary closures of Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

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

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "authorities will not hesitate to employ the strictest possible measures when our airspace is violated."

Official Measures

Announcing the actions at a press conference, officials stated defense units were executing "every required action" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel between the two countries, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, but no other movement will be allowed.

"Through these actions, we communicate to the neighboring nation and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated here, and we will take all the strictest measures to prevent similar incidents," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from the neighboring government.

Alliance Coordination

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners over the threat posed from the balloons with possible discussions about implementing the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation on any issue of concern, particularly involving territorial protection - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

National air facilities experienced triple closures during holiday periods from balloon incidents originating from neighboring territory, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, based on regional media reports.

Earlier this month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, causing dozens of flight disruptions impacting thousands, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

These incidents continue previous patterns: by autumn measurements, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, an NCMC spokesman said, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

International Perspective

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - faced comparable aviation security challenges, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, during current period.