{"id":161177,"date":"2025-10-23T11:44:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T08:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/161177\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"lithuanian-pm-vows-harsh-response-to-smuggling-from-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/161177\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian PM vows harsh response to smuggling from Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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October 23, <\/strong>Pozirk.<\/strong> <\/em>Lithuanian authorities will respond harshly and immediately to any \u201chostile actions,\u201d including the free movement of smuggled goods from Belarus, Prime Minister Inga Ruginien\u0117 told \u017dini\u0173 Radijas<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her comment refers to yesterday\u2019s Lithuanian airspace violation by cigarette-smuggling balloons launched from Belarus. The incursions resulted in a brief closure of border crossings and disrupted the operation of Vilnius Airport, which had been affected by a similar incident earlier this month. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilmantas Vitkauskas of the National Crisis Management Center described the icursions as a \u201ccoordinated operation\u201d as balloons of Belarusian origin were found across five Lithuanian districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, Lithuania handed the Belarusian charg\u00e9 d’affaires a note of protest over repeated and frequent violations of Lithuanian airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius intends to respond to these incidents without engaging in lengthy negotiations with Minsk, as most of the smugglers’ goods could have been easily intercepted by Belarus, Delfi <\/em>reported, citing Ruginien\u0117 as saying. Yesterday, the official also warned that Vilnius will close its border in the event of another mass entry of cigarette-smuggling balloons from Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the start of 2025, some 80 percent of smuggled cigarettes have reportedly arrived in Lithuania from Belarus by weather balloons or drones. Lithuanian authorities seized more than 1.1 million packs of cigarettes delivered by air, including 800,000 packs delivered by balloons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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