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Lithuania will begin to eliminate helium balloons carrying illicit goods from Belarus, the country's leader announced.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border disrupted air traffic multiple times over the past week, affecting holiday travel, accompanied by temporary closures of Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

International border access continues restricted due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "authorities will not hesitate to employ even the most severe actions against airspace violations."

Government Response

Detailing the measures during a briefing, Ruginiene said the army was taking "complete operational protocols" to eliminate aerial threats.

About the border closure, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues 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 the neighboring nation and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to stop such attacks," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Official communications saw no quick answer from the neighboring government.

Diplomatic Measures

Authorities will discuss with international allies regarding the aerial device concerns and may discuss activating the alliance's consultation mechanism - a protocol allowing member state consultation regarding security matters, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Flight Cancellations

Lithuanian airports were closed three times over the weekend because of aerial devices crossing the international border, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, according to Baltic News Service.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, per national security agency reports.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: by autumn measurements, hundreds of aerial devices documented crossing borders from neighboring territory during current year, an NCMC spokesman said, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

European Context

Other European airports - covering northern and central European sites - have also been affected by air incursions, with unauthorized drone observations, over past months.