Lithuania’s government announced a state of emergency on Tuesday due to security concerns arising from meteorological balloons drifting from Belarus, a country aligned with Russia. These balloons have been breaching Lithuanian airspace in recent weeks, leading to the repeated closure of the main airport and stranding thousands of individuals. This situation has been of particular concern given previous violations of NATO airspace during the conflict in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė emphasized the need for stringent measures to counter the Belarusian hybrid attack and protect the most affected areas. The decision to declare a national emergency was made during a cabinet meeting of the Baltic state, a NATO member that strongly supports Ukraine in its conflict against Russian forces.
The national emergency status grants the army the authority to patrol the border alongside other uniformed services and receive additional powers from parliament, such as the ability to conduct searches and detain individuals. The government assured that the impact on civilians would be minimal.
While the balloons are allegedly used for smuggling cigarettes into Lithuania, officials in Vilnius view their quantity and flight paths as deliberate disruptions orchestrated by Belarus. The Vilnius international airport has been shut down for more than 60 hours since October, affecting over 350 flights and approximately 51,000 passengers.
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič revealed that Lithuanian prosecutors have initiated an investigation into the balloons, with secret services providing information on potential links to the Minsk regime. Despite these actions, there is no evidence of Belarus attempting to stop the senders of the balloons, reinforcing the belief that this is a coordinated hybrid attack.
In response to Lithuania’s measures, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko criticized the border closures as part of a “hybrid war” against his country. He denied allegations of hybrid attacks and claimed that the balloons pose no threat to civil aviation. Lukashenko called for negotiations between Minsk and Vilnius to address the situation.
Lithuania, Poland, and other EU nations in the region have accused Belarus of engaging in activities aimed at destabilizing the area, including cyberattacks. They also allege that Minsk is orchestrating a large influx of migrants to their borders from the Middle East and Africa to create a migration crisis.
Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich suggested that the balloon issue escalated following the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Belarusian national airline Belavia. Karbalevich posited that Lukashenko aims to leverage the situation to prompt the EU to ease or remove sanctions and initiate negotiations with Lithuania.
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