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The Baltic nation plans to eliminate helium balloons carrying contraband tobacco across the border, its prime minister has warned.

This action responds after unauthorized aerial incursions necessitated airport closures multiple times over the past week, with weekend disruptions, while authorities suspended cross-border movement during each incident.

International border access continues restricted following repeated balloon incursions.

The government leader stated, "authorities will not hesitate to employ the strictest possible measures against airspace violations."

National Security Actions

Announcing the actions at a press conference, Ruginiene said the army was taking "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

Concerning border measures, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues across the international border, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, however general movement continues suspended.

"Through these actions, we communicate to foreign authorities declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," the Prime Minister emphasized.

There has been no immediate response from the neighboring government.

International Consultation

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners over the threat posed from the balloons while potentially considering invocation of the alliance's consultation mechanism - a request for consultation by a Nato member country regarding security matters, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Flight Cancellations

Lithuanian airports were closed three times at the weekend due to weather balloons originating from neighboring territory, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, based on regional media reports.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

These incidents continue previous patterns: by autumn measurements, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania across the frontier in recent months, per government spokesperson comments, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

European Context

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - have also been affected by air incursions, with unauthorized drone observations, over past months.