Lithuania warned that balloons and drones crossing from Belarus endangered civil aviation and forced temporary airport restrictions, raising diplomatic tensions.
On Monday, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Belarusian chargé d’affaires ad interim and voiced a firm protest over numerous violations of Lithuanian airspace, including balloons carrying contraband and other unmanned aerial vehicles that intruded into Lithuanian airspace from Belarusian territory.
According to a press release on the official website of the Lithuanian MFA, these incidents posed a threat to civil aviation in some cases.
Lithuania’s Response and the Implications for the Airport
As a result, from June 7 to June 8, Vilnius International Airport’s operations were temporarily restricted.
The Lithuanian MFA also rejected Belarus’s allegations of violations of Belarus’s airspace on May 17, noting that competent authorities did not record such incidents.
The agency urged Belarus to adhere to its international obligations, ensure effective control over its airspace, and take decisive measures to combat criminal activity related to organized smuggling.
The Lithuanian Airports company said that on the night of June 7–8 Vilnius Airport was temporarily closed due to elevated flight risks in border zones, where markings typical of meteorological sondes were recorded.
Lithuania’s position on securing its airspace remains clear: adherence to international obligations and effective airspace control are priorities for the country’s diplomatic and security structures.