Lithuania Closes Airports and Borders Amid Rising Airspace Incursions

On Friday, Lithuania made the unprecedented decision to shut down its two largest airports and border crossings with Belarus following the alarming drift of helium weather balloons into its airspace. This incident marked the third occurrence of such breeches within the month, exacerbating an ongoing concern for safety in the Baltic state. European aviation has faced turmoil recently due to various incidents, including drone sightings and airspace intrusions at major airports like Copenhagen's, Munich's, and others in the Baltic region. Airports in Vilnius and Kaunas were temporarily closed for safety measures until 2 a.m. local time Saturday, while border crossings with Belarus are expected to remain closed until midday on Sunday. Authorities are particularly troubled by the balloons, which they allege are used by smugglers to transport Belarusian cigarettes into the EU, taking advantage of the significantly higher tobacco prices in European markets. Lithuanian officials have pointed fingers at Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting that his regime fails to intervene in these smuggling operations. Lithuania's Prime Minister, Inga Ruginiene, revealed that the national security commission will convene next week to explore immediate strategies aimed at disrupting smugglers’ activities and applying pressure to Lukashenko's government. On Friday alone, Lithuania's national crisis management center detected numerous balloons via radar, leading to an emergency response that echoed past incidents where Vilnius Airport had to be closed on both Tuesday and October 5 due to similar balloon incursions. In total, 966 balloons entered Lithuania's airspace last year, with over 500 reported just this year, according to official data. The neighboring country, Poland, also reported over 100 similar incidents in the same timeframe, highlighting a broader regional challenge. Additionally, tensions escalated further on Thursday when Lithuania reported that two aircraft from Russia, a Sukhoi SU30 fighter and an IL78 refueling tanker, briefly entered its airspace from the Kaliningrad exclave. In response, NATO deployed two Eurofighter Typhoons from its Baltic air patrol mission, successfully monitoring the situation as the Russian planes flickered in and out of Lithuanian airspace during a refueling operation that lasted just 18 seconds. Lithuania's foreign ministry reacted quickly by summoning the chargé d'affaires from the Russian embassy to issue a strong protest against these unauthorized incursions. However, Russia's defense ministry denied any entry into Lithuania's airspace. As a member of both the European Union and NATO, Lithuania is acutely aware of the sensitivities surrounding violations of its airspace. The resurgence of these incursions is a painful reminder of the threats posed by regional tensions and the ongoing geopolitical challenges faced by the Baltic states. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2