Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
NATO member Lithuania closed its capital airport late Saturday and closed both crossings on its border with Belarus after helium weather balloons drifted over the Baltic country’s territory for the second consecutive day.
Lithuanian officials said traffic at Vilnius airport was suspended until 2 a.m., while the Belarus border would also be closed until the same time.
European aviation has repeatedly thrown into chaos Drone sightings and other aerial incursions have been reported in recent weeks, including at airports in Copenhagen, Munich and the Baltic region.
vilnius airport also closed on Tuesday and Friday of this week and on October 5, officials said, each time due to the balloons entering the capital’s airspace.
Lithuania has said the balloons are sent by smugglers carrying contraband cigarettes, but it also blames Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for not stopping the practice.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginien said on Friday that the country’s National Security Commission would meet next week to assess the situation.