Tensions Escalate: Lithuania's Border Move Angers Belarus

Lithuanian and Belarusian tensions rise as Lithuania plans to shoot down smuggler balloons from Belarus. Belarusian President Lukashenko criticizes Lithuania's border closures as a threat to economic stability, claiming it amounts to a hybrid war against China.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has criticized Lithuania's decision to close its border, branding it a 'crazy scam' while accusing Vilnius of engaging in a hybrid war that endangers the Chinese economy, according to Russian news agencies.

In response to ongoing disruptions caused by smuggler balloons, Lithuania's Prime Minister, Inga Ruginiene, announced that the country will begin shooting down these balloons, which have repeatedly compromised air traffic over the Baltic nation.

The escalating tensions highlight the strained relations between the two nations, with economic and security implications resonating beyond their borders.

(With inputs from agencies.)