{"id":173349,"date":"2026-01-28T16:29:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T13:29:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173349\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lithuania-reports-incursions-by-about-40-air-balloons-from-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173349\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuania reports incursions by about 40 air balloons from Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

January<\/strong> 28,<\/strong> Pozirk<\/strong><\/em>.<\/em><\/strong> Lithuania last night detected about 40 weather balloons that entered its airspace from Belarus, disrupting operations of Vilnius International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center, described the incursions as \u201cpossibly the most intensive\u201d attack from Belarus in the last 12 months, Delfi <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law enforcement officers seized eight balloons with smuggled cigarettes, recovered remains of several balloons and arrested four suspects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police are working hard to arrest those who arrive to pick the smuggled cigarettes to prevent such incidents in the future, Vitkauskas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius International Airport suspended operations three times overnight, Delfi <\/em>reported, noting that disruptions affected more than 1,700 passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No disruptions had been reported since December 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, border guards in the \u0160iauliai district downed an unmanned aerial vehicle with 1,000 packs of contraband cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Lithuania intercepted 635 balloons and 59 drones used to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus, according to the State Border Guard Service. As many as 171 people were arrested in Lithuania on suspicion of involvement in smuggling by air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balloons have been a source of tensions between Lithuania and Belarus, prompting Vilnius to close the border for three weeks last fall and suspend operations at Vilnius International Airport on several occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cigarettes cost an equivalent of around \u20ac1 at stores in Belarus and are significantly cheaper than legally sold cigarettes in Latvia and Lithuania, where prices start at around \u20ac5. Smuggled NZ cigarettes can be bought at \u20ac2 per pack in Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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