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airport in lithuaniaThe capital has been locked down for four evenings last week after smuggling balloons were found floating on the border Belarus.
Thousands of passengers have been affected as dozens of flights have been affected. Redirected or canceled at the airportwhich is 30 kilometers (19 mi) away belarus,
Lithuania, a NATO and European Union member state, is Close In response its land border with Belarus by the end of November, and threatened to call NATO Article 4 Consult if these events continue. Officials have called it a “hybrid attack” by a Kremlin ally.
Here’s what is known about these balloons:
What are they?
High-altitude balloons, filled with helium or hydrogen, fly where the wind takes them, but their altitude can be controlled remotely from the ground.
These are commonly used by meteorologists to detect weather conditions in the stratosphere, starting about 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) above the ground.
However, they have been reused by smugglers to transport cheap cigarettes from Belarus to Lithuania. vilnius The government says, since the crisis over the wave of migrant crossings in 2021, strict restrictions have been imposed on movement at the land border.
First observed in 2023, smuggling balloons became ubiquitous in 2024 when several hundred were recorded.
They pass across the border at a height of about 3-4 kilometers. Smugglers in Lithuania can communicate with the balloon to track its location and direct it to land.
A balloon typically contains 500 to 1,500 packs of Belarus-made cigarettes, with a pack costing less than one euro, compared to €4.5 for the same brand in Lithuania.
Why are balloons a problem?
Air navigation officials say the balloons fly at the same altitude as aircraft approaching the airport, increasing the risk of collision.
Local rules for mid-air exposure have recently been upgraded, and balloons now often qualify.
In recent days, Lithuanian authorities have fine-tuned their detection systems and have become better able to identify whether the flight path of an identified balloon poses a threat to civil aviation.
What happens from cigarettes?
Lithuania says smuggled cigarettes are usually manufactured in Belarus, and many are consumed in Lithuania.
Lithuanian border guards seized 1.4 million packs of illegal cigarettes in 2024, of which 1.2 million packs were marked for sale in Belarus.
Why did Lithuania close its border with Belarus?
The Lithuanian government says authorities in Belarus are contributing to the problem by not cracking down on smugglers on their own soil, and have deemed the situation a “hybrid attack”.
What is the situation in Belarus?
President Alexander Lukashenko said, “If some air balloons with cigarettes or something else are flying there (Lithuania), they need to resolve that question.”
“They’re not flying into the void; someone’s getting them there.”
He said closing Lithuania’s border is a “Crazy Scam” And, in turn, accused the West of waging a hybrid war against Belarus and Russia that was ushering in a new era of barbed-wire division.
Foreign Minister Maxim Ryazhenkov described Lithuania’s move as a “provocative move” and said it was intended to justify anti-Belarus sanctions.
Why are balloons not dropped?
The Lithuanian government initially said they were not being shot because their payload posed a threat to life or property, which could be as heavy as 50 kilograms (110 lb) if dropped uncontrolled.
However, on Monday Prime Minister Inga Ruginien Army asked to use “dynamic measures” To destroy the balloons. He did not elaborate on the measures, citing security sensitivity.