You thought the drones were a problem? Try helium balloons.
Lithuanian authorities shut airspace over Vilnius after “several dozen” balloons were spotted in the skies late Tuesday, part of a cigarette-smuggling operation.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė told a press briefing Wednesday morning that she was holding a top-level summit to discuss the issue, as she pointed the finger at Belarus.
“Today I am urgently convening a meeting of the National Security Committee — it will take place at 1:30 p.m. This morning I already demanded that everyone come with concrete solutions. We must discuss this situation immediately and we must find — not debate, but find — what to do,” she said.
“I would very much like Belarus to take responsibility for these incidents,” Ruginienė added. “Regardless of our political relations, on a technical level we must cooperate. It’s abnormal that so many balloons are crossing our border, and we have to chase them down and prevent them from reaching our strategic sites.”
The balloons, first detected around 10:30 p.m., prompted the closure of Vilnius Airport, diverting or canceling 30 flights and stranding about 4,000 passengers, the airport’s spokesperson said. The airport was reopened at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
“We see that the balloons were not launched from a single point — it was a coordinated operation,” said Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center, adding there was an investigation underway to clarify “who ordered this operation.”
Border Guard Commander General Rustamas Liubajevas said “several dozen” balloons were detected and 12 intercepted. Earlier, he said the “total number” could be up to 200.
He added four suspects had been detained. “This number will change during the day, as criminal intelligence operations are still ongoing,” he said.
Europe has been grappling with how to protect its airspace after a spate of drone sightings and airport closures in recent months. Denmark, which has repeatedly been targeted in the incursions, has pointed the finger at Russia and claimed the continent is in a “hybrid war.”
Lithuania has been the target of smugglers’ balloons before. Twenty-five balloons were launched from Belarus earlier this month, with some floating directly over Vilnius Airport, forcing its closure.
“The airport area must be fully protected so that flights are not further disrupted. We’ll discuss this in the committee today, and I truly expect answers from the competent institutions,” Ruginienė said Wednesday.
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