Balloon Intrusions: Lithuania's Vilnius Airport Repeatedly Closed

Vilnius airport in Lithuania temporarily halted operations due to balloons in its airspace, marking another interruption in Baltic air traffic. The airport has faced multiple closures since October, attributed to cigarette smuggling from Belarus and potential 'hybrid attacks' allegedly linked to Belarusian and Russian presidents.

In a recent incident, Lithuania's Vilnius airport temporarily ceased operations after balloons were detected in its airspace. This issue is the latest in a series of disruptions to the Baltic country's air traffic in recent times.

The government-run National Crisis Management Centre announced that air traffic would remain closed until 1905 GMT. Located approximately 30 km from Belarus, the airport has been subject to more than ten closures since October due to similar occurrences, with the most recent closure recorded on December 3.

According to Lithuania, the balloons are deployed by cigarette smugglers from Belarus. Furthermore, the country accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, of failing to prevent what is described as a 'hybrid attack'.

(With inputs from agencies.)