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The Baltic nation plans to eliminate aerial devices transporting cigarettes from neighbouring Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This action responds after foreign objects crossing the border forced Vilnius Airport to close on several occasions recently, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

International border access continues restricted due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

The government leader stated, "we are ready to take even the most severe actions during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access between the two countries, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, though all other travel remains prohibited.

"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 stop such attacks," government officials declared.

There has been no immediate response from Belarus.

Diplomatic Measures

Authorities will discuss with international allies regarding the aerial device concerns while potentially considering invocation of Nato's Article 4 - a provision enabling alliance discussion about national security issues, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Flight Cancellations

National air facilities experienced triple closures during holiday periods from balloon incidents originating from neighboring territory, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, according to Baltic News Service.

Earlier this month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early October, 544 balloons were recorded entering Lithuania across the frontier in recent months, an NCMC spokesman said, while 966 were recorded last year.

International Perspective

Additional aviation facilities - including in Copenhagen and Munich - experienced similar aerial disruptions, with unauthorized drone observations, over past months.