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Authorities have decided to intercept and destroy helium balloons carrying illicit goods from Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This action responds after unauthorized aerial incursions necessitated airport closures multiple times over the past week, including at the weekend, while authorities suspended cross-border movement during each incident.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely in response to the helium weather balloons.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "our nation stands prepared to implement the strictest possible measures when our airspace is violated."

Official Measures

Outlining the strategy to media, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

Concerning border measures, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues between the two countries, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, however general movement continues suspended.

"This represents our clear message to the neighboring nation declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to stop such attacks," she said.

There has been no immediate response from Belarus.

International Consultation

Lithuania plans to consult its allies regarding the aerial device concerns with possible discussions about implementing the NATO consultation clause - a protocol allowing member state consultation on any issue of concern, specifically concerning defense matters - she added.

Flight Cancellations

National air facilities experienced triple closures at the weekend due to weather balloons from Belarus, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, per transportation authority data.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, per national security agency reports.

The phenomenon is not new: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from Belarus this year, per government spokesperson comments, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

Regional Situation

Other European airports - covering northern and central European sites - faced comparable aviation security challenges, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, during current period.