Vilnius. Taking a big decision, Lithuania has implemented ‘Nationwide Emergency Situation’ in the entire country amid increasing tension on its borders with Russia’s Kaliningrad and Belarus. This step has been taken due to the continuous sending of weather measuring balloons from Belarus, which are being secretly used for smuggling of cigarettes. The government says that these balloons are not only a threat to illegal activities, but have also become a serious challenge to national security and air traffic.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said that the situation is getting worse day by day. According to the government and security agencies, about 600 balloons and about 200 drones have crossed the border from Belarus to Lithuania this year. At times these balloons came into the regular landing routes of planes, leading to the closure of Vilnius Airport several times. The airport was disrupted for more than 60 hours since October and flights of more than 30,000 passengers were affected.
This emergency level is below ‘State of Emergency’, but the government believes that the situation is so serious that it was necessary to take strict action. Earlier, Lithuania had also declared emergency after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022. This time the government says that the increased balloon activity seems to be part of a deliberate strategy, aimed at increasing instability in the country.
Belarus has vehemently denied Lithuania’s allegations. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says Lithuania is giving political color to the issue and there is no threat from the balloon. He even asked whether Lithuania wants war, because Belarus has no such intention. In response, Lithuanian President Gitanas Naušida said that they have enough evidence to show that this is part of Belarus’s disruption strategy.
Tension increased to such an extent that Lithuania had to close two border checkpoints with Belarus in October. Belarus then retaliated by banning Lithuanian trucks from plying on its roads, further deepening tensions between the two countries. The European Union has also taken this matter seriously. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the incidents as a ‘hybrid attack’ and said new sanctions against Belarus were being considered. The representative of Belarus in Brussels has been summoned and warned. Lithuania says that now this matter is no longer just about smuggling, but has become a violation of aviation security and international law. Some officials are also talking about keeping it in the category of possible ‘terrorist activity’.
According to experts, these balloons reach a height of 10 kilometers and can directly enter the path of planes. If a balloon collides with a passenger plane, a major accident can occur. In view of this risk, Lithuania has imposed a nationwide state of emergency, so that air security and national stability can be protected from any threat.
