Balloons from Belarus Disrupt Lithuanian Airspace

Vilnius Airport briefly suspended operations after smuggler balloons from Belarus were detected in Lithuanian airspace. This marks the latest in a series of incidents since October. Authorities accuse Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of facilitating the cross-border smuggling of cigarettes using weather balloons.

Lithuania's main airport in the capital reported a temporary halt in operations early Wednesday following the discovery of suspected smuggler balloons from Belarus drifting into its airspace.

According to a Facebook post by Vilnius Airport, the airspace closure lasted for an hour, constituting one of over a dozen incidents since last October.

Officials claim that smugglers use weather balloons to illegally transport cigarettes across the border, accusing Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of failing to address the issue.