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The Baltic nation plans to intercept and destroy aerial devices transporting contraband tobacco across the border, its prime minister has warned.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times over the past week, including at the weekend, while authorities suspended frontier checkpoints during these events.

International border access continues restricted in response to the helium weather balloons.

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement the strictest possible measures when our airspace is violated."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "all necessary measures" to intercept unauthorized devices.

About the border closure, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel for cross-border diplomatic missions, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, however general movement continues suspended.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to prevent similar incidents," she said.

There has been no immediate response from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners about the security challenges presented and may discuss activating the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation about national security issues, particularly involving territorial protection - the Prime Minister concluded.

Travel Impacts

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns over the weekend because of aerial devices originating from neighboring territory, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, per transportation authority data.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, according to emergency management officials.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from neighboring territory during current year, per government spokesperson comments, while 966 were recorded last year.

Regional Situation

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, with unauthorized drone observations, in recent weeks.