{"id":167136,"date":"2025-12-07T13:48:47","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T10:48:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/167136\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"vilnius-airport-reports-more-airspace-restrictions","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/167136\/","title":{"rendered":"Vilnius Airport reports more airspace restrictions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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December 7, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> The Vilnius International Airport reported disruptions in its operations yesterday evening between 6 and 7.30 pm due to balloon incursions from Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airport cited “a hybrid attack carried out by Belarus against Lithuania, civil aviation, and the public \u2014 with navigation markings characteristic of balloons being detected in areas risky for aviation” in a Facebook post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incident followed a similar one on December 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania over cigarette-smuggling balloons have been rising since mid-October, forcing Lithuanian authorities to briefly close the border on several occasions and suspend operations at Vilnius Airport, located close to the Belarusian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk pushes for consultations between the countries\u2019 foreign ministries, while Lithuania views potential talks as an effort to break the international isolation of Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime and potentially pave the way for easing sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius is also reluctant to launch negotiations, as Lithuania curtailed official contacts with Minsk after what it described as the rigged 2020 presidential election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuania will declare a state of emergency next week as balloon incursions from Belarus keep threatening public security, Prime Minister Inga Ruginien\u0117 announced on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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