Weather Balloons Disrupt Vilnius Airport Operations

Vilnius Airport in Lithuania was temporarily closed due to the presence of weather balloons, an incident blamed on smugglers and indirectly on Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. This marks the sixth occurrence this month, prompting Lithuania to close off border crossings with Belarus and contemplate shooting down the balloons.

Vilnius Airport in Lithuania faced temporary closure on Thursday when weather balloons were spotted in its airspace, marking the sixth such incident within a month. Authorities are attributing these disruptions to smugglers and are pointing fingers at Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko for failing to intervene.

The airspace restrictions at Lithuania's capital airport were set until 2110 GMT, disrupting travel plans. In response, Lithuania has already shut down border crossings with Belarus for most travelers until November's end and is considering measures like shooting down the balloons to prevent further incidents.

Lukashenko dismissed Lithuania's border closure as a 'crazy scam,' accusing Western nations of engaging in a hybrid war against Belarus and Russia, which he claims threatens a new division era marked by barbed-wire borders.

(With inputs from agencies.)