Balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes over Lithuania close airport for hours
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — A swarm of up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some of them carrying smuggled cigarettes, breached Lithuanian airspace late Saturday, leading to the closure of Vilnius Airport and causing significant flight delays, authorities confirmed.
The intrusion of these balloons disrupted 30 flights, affecting approximately 6,000 passengers, as per Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center. Flight operations resumed at 4:50 a.m. (0150 GMT) on Sunday.
Although the balloons were found to be transporting cigarettes, the incident raised concerns in Europe given the recent surge in NATO airspace violations. Some European officials viewed these occurrences as potential tests by Moscow to gauge NATO’s responsiveness, prompting questions about the alliance’s readiness against Russia.
The Baltic states, particularly Lithuania, remain on high alert. In July, a Russian-made drone entered Lithuanian territory from Belarus and crashed in Vilnius County.
Following these incidents, the Lithuanian parliament authorized the military to shoot down any unauthorized drones infringing on its airspace.
Two balloons flew over Vilnius Airport, with more than two dozen reaching Vilnius County. Border police seized 11 balloons and around 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes in various locations.
Vilnius, situated about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Belarusian border, has become a target for Belarusian smugglers using hot-air balloons for cigarette trafficking into the EU, given their cost-effectiveness compared to drones.
Similar incidents involving fewer balloons were reported in August, with a significant number intercepted by Lithuanian authorities last year and this year.
“Both smuggling balloons and drones constitute criminal activities, although they are not seen as provocations or acts of sabotage,” stated spokesperson Darius Buta.
