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POZIRK+Minsk, Vilnius in diplomatic spat over balloon smuggling
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POZIRK+
Lithuania shuts last two Belarus border crossings after balloon incursions
October 27, Pozirk. Lithuania has closed down the Šalčininkai border crossing on the shared border with Belarus for an indefinite period, with some exceptions allowed in Medininkai, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reports.
The move was designed in response to an influx of cigarette-smuggling weather balloons from Belarus, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said earlier today following a meeting of the national security commission.
Under new regulations, diplomatic passport holders, persons transporting Lithuanian diplomatic mail, and travellers transiting to and from Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave would be allowed to cross the border at Medininkai. Lithuanian nationals, European Union citizens and their family members as well as holders of Lithuanian residence permits will also be allowed to enter Lithuania.
Border crossings in Medininkai and Šalčininkai were the only two checkpoints handling all cross-border traffic between Lithuania and Belarus after Vilnius closed Šumskas and Tverečius crossings in 2023 and Lavoriškės and Raigardas in 2024, citing national security and smuggling among the reasons.
The Belarusian Minsktrans bus operator has already cancelled several of its international bus routes connecting Minsk with Vilnius and Kaunas in Lithuania and with Riga in Latvia, until October 29. Passengers will receive a full refund, it noted.
Lithuania mulls longer border closure after dozens of weather balloons enter from Belarus
October 27, Pozirk. More weather balloons carrying contraband cigarettes were launched from Belarus into Lithuania last night than the night before, according to Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the Baltic country’s National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC). Speaking to LRT, Vitkauskas said …
