LRT reported the information.
According to the center’s representative, Darius Buta, the balloons came from Belarus. Thirteen to fourteen weather balloons were spotted in Vilnius and the Vilnius district, two of them over Vilnius Airport.
“A violation of Lithuanian airspace was recorded during the night. In total, 25 weather balloons were observed coming from the direction of Belarus,” Buta said in an interview with LRT radio.
According to the company Lithuanian Airports, the airspace of Vilnius Airport had to be closed at 10:16 p.m. on Saturday. The reason was the balloons spotted near the airport. Air traffic resumed at 4:50 a.m.
The NKVC is still clarifying how many weather balloons fell on Lithuanian territory and how many of them were carrying contraband.
“Usually, such balloons are launched by smugglers, (…) with a favorable wind direction, their number can be in the dozens or more,” said Darius Buta.
According to Lithuanian Airports, some flights from Vilnius may be delayed due to the incident, as the rotation of crews and aircraft was disrupted. Six flights were canceled: to Zurich, London, Frankfurt, Kutaisi, Warsaw, and Copenhagen.
Munich Airport suspended operations for the second time in less than 24 hours on Friday evening after sightings of drones near its runways.