Lithuania Declares National Emergency Amid Belarus Balloon Crisis

Wed Dec 10 2025 02:28:14 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Lithuania is responding to an escalating situation involving weather balloons from Belarus carrying smuggled cigarettes, leading to a nationwide emergency declaration, as officials label the incursions a 'hybrid attack' on national security.

In a significant security response, Lithuania has declared a nationwide emergency due to repeated incursions from Belarus involving weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes. Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene described the situation as a 'hybrid attack' that endangers both national security and civil aviation, with numerous disturbances reported at Vilnius Airport. Belarus denies involvement, claiming the situation is politicized, while Lithuania continues to enhance its security measures to counteract these threats.

The Lithuanian government has declared a 'nationwide emergency situation' in response to a series of incursions from neighboring Belarus by weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene condemned the balloon incursions as a 'hybrid attack' by Belarus that posed a real risk to national security and civil aviation.

This year alone, officials say about 600 balloons linked to smuggling and almost 200 drones have entered Lithuanian airspace, leading to the repeated closure of Vilnius airport.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko denies being behind the incursions, alleging the issue has been 'politicized' by Lithuania, which is a member of both the EU and NATO.

Lithuania's decision to impose an 'emergency situation' is a step below a state of emergency, which was last imposed in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It grants the armed forces additional powers to respond faster and more effectively.

Belarus's long-time leader is a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin, and Lithuania's president, Gitanas Nauseda, has said there is a lot of evidence that the balloon threat is a 'deliberate action aimed at destabilizing the situation in Lithuania.'

A number of European countries have faced a range of threats from Russia, which the EU has condemned as a 'hybrid campaign' that includes sabotage, disruption to critical infrastructure and most recently drone flights near sensitive sites.

Last month, the head of NATO's military committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, indicated that the Western military alliance was considering a more 'aggressive' or 'pro-active' stance toward Russia's hybrid warfare.

Lithuania has accused Belarus of this kind of provocation before. Four years ago, thousands of irregular migrants crossed the Belarusian border.

In response to the latest threat, Lithuania closed two border checkpoints with Belarus for three weeks from the end of October. Belarus then barred Lithuanian trucks from driving on its roads, stranding hundreds of Lithuanian vehicles.

'We are talking about aviation security and international law, and about the fact that such actions could be recognized as terrorism,' Ruginiene stated.

The weather balloons can reach a height of 10km (6 miles), and Lithuania's interior ministry reports they have led to Vilnius airport being closed for over 60 hours since October, affecting around 30,000 passengers.

Despite the disruptions, Lukashenko claimed that the allegations against Belarus were unrealistic, highlighting an intent to prevent war and maintain peace in the region.

Lithuanian authorities continue to monitor and respond to the ongoing threat, with recent reports indicating the interception of balloons and a significant amount of smuggled tobacco.