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The Baltic nation plans to intercept and destroy aerial devices transporting illicit goods from Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This decision follows after foreign objects crossing the border necessitated airport closures repeatedly in recent days, affecting holiday travel, with the government also closing Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

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

According to official declarations, "authorities will not hesitate to employ even the most severe actions when our airspace is violated."

Government Response

Outlining the strategy to media, Ruginiene said the army was taking "every required action" to eliminate aerial threats.

About the border closure, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues across the international border, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, but no other movement will be allowed.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to Belarus declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to halt these operations," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Minsk officials.

Diplomatic Measures

Lithuania plans to consult its allies about the security challenges presented and may discuss activating the alliance's consultation mechanism - a provision enabling alliance discussion about national security issues, especially related to its security - she added.

Airport Disruptions

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns at the weekend due to weather balloons originating from neighboring territory, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, per transportation authority data.

Earlier this month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

These incidents continue previous patterns: through early October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, according to official statements, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

International Perspective

Other European airports - such as Scandinavian and German locations - have also been affected by air incursions, with unauthorized drone observations, over past months.