Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
There’s been several airspace violations over the last week.
Lithuania has indefinitely sealed its border with Belarus and halted flights after another wave of airspace violations involving balloons launched from Belarusian territory, officials confirmed late on Oct. 26.
According to Kyiv Independent, the move follows a string of similar incidents that have repeatedly disrupted the country’s air traffic over the past week.
Rising tensions at the border
Vilnius International Airport was forced to suspend all operations for several hours overnight after one or more balloons were detected flying toward the capital, airport authorities said.
It was the third consecutive night that Lithuania’s airspace had been breached and the fourth such disruption in a single week.
The National Crisis Management Center (NKVC) announced that all border crossings with Belarus would remain closed “for an indefinite period.”
Officials described the measure as a response to continuing “provocations” from across the border.
A week of violations
Earlier incidents had prompted temporary closures at Lithuania’s two remaining border checkpoints with Belarus. On Oct. 24,
Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said a large cluster of “smuggling balloons” had been launched from Belarus, forcing both Vilnius and Kaunas airports to shut down briefly.
The following night, air traffic was again suspended after similar reports of balloons entering Lithuanian airspace.
Authorities said each incident required emergency measures to protect civilian aviation.
Ongoing smuggling concerns
Lithuanian officials say the balloons are often used to transport contraband cigarettes into the country.
On Oct. 5 and 21, similar airspace incursions led to closures over Vilnius and the grounding of dozens of flights.
The latest wave of aerial activity has raised new concerns about border security and the possibility of deliberate hybrid operations involving both smuggling and political pressure.
Regional security fears
Lithuania shares a 680-kilometer (420-mile) frontier with Belarus, a close ally of Moscow. In September, after a Russian drone strayed into Polish airspace,
Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic warned that the government was ready to close its border “immediately” in the event of any provocation.
Sources: Reuters, BBC, AP, Kyiv Independent
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
