Lithuania has provided the International Civil Aviation Organization with evidence of incidents involving smuggled meteorological balloons launched from Belarus. According to Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Rugienė, at a press conference on February 18, the collected materials regarding airspace violations by Belarus were presented.
«Lithuania has officially contacted the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), providing the collected evidence of airspace violations conducted from Belarus»
– Inga Rugienė
She stressed that these are not isolated incidents but recurring actions that affect Lithuania’s civil aviation and create risks for international aviation safety.
Timeline of events and Lithuania’s response
Vilnius expects from ICAO a clear international assessment and a principled response, the head of government said.
Rugienė stated that since autumn last year Lithuanian services have checked about 50,000 people, 38,000 vehicles, intercepted about 100 bullets and uncovered 234,000 packs of cigarettes.
Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Juras Taminskas sees “indications of what will be recognized: Belarus is carrying out a hybrid attack.”
«This would be a strong political blow to the regime that is trying to re-enter the international arena, cooperate, go out, presenting itself as open, since Minsk does not want and avoids ICAO recognizing that they are violating international law in the field of civil aviation»
– Juras Taminskas
The minister also believes that the Minsk regime could face “significant sanctions” thanks to the collected evidence and ICAO’s recognition of violations of international aviation law.
Taminskas appealed to ICAO in October 2025, but at that time the organization stated that to consider such initiatives it is necessary to provide concrete evidence.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, since October last year Lithuania’s airspace has been violated at least 16 times, affecting more than 370 flights and about 53,000 passengers, while total losses exceed €2.3 million.
On January 28, a meteorological balloon carrying contraband cigarettes landed in central Vilnius; the man who arrived for the cargo injured a police officer and fled the scene.
Experts emphasize the importance of continued international coordination and a consistent global response to prevent similar threats and protect the region’s airspace.