{"id":181689,"date":"2026-03-31T12:23:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T09:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/181689\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T12:23:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T09:23:38","slug":"balloons-from-belarus-force-another-brief-closure-of-vilnius-airport","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/181689\/","title":{"rendered":"Balloons from Belarus force another brief closure of Vilnius airport"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 31, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Vilnius International Airport suspended operations early on March 31 after air balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes from Belarus invaded the Lithuanian airspace, Delfi<\/em> reported with reference to Lithuanian Airports (LTOU).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air traffic restrictions were in place between 2:00 a.m. and 3:21 a.m., prompted by the detection of \u201cnavigation markings characteristic of weather balloons in areas risky for aviation.\u201d As a result, a flight with 87 passengers on board was redirected to Copenhagen, and a morning flight from Vilnius to Copenhagen was cancelled. Some flights may be delayed on March 31 because of the \u201crotation of crews and planes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The previous such suspensions, the fifth and the sixth ones this year, occurred on March 26 and 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania over cigarette-smuggling balloons have been rising since October 2025, forcing Lithuanian authorities to briefly close the border on several occasions and repeatedly suspend operations at Vilnius Airport, located close to the Belarusian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last December, Vilnius declared an \u201cextreme situation,\u201d a low-level emergency, in response to incursions, which it described as \u201ca hybrid attack from Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar Luka\u0161enka, however, played down Vilnius\u2019s concerns on March 20, claiming that weather balloons could not affect airport operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA plane takes off, takes off cleanly. It can be seen that there are no balloons on the runway. After it takes off, it flies as high as 10-11 kilometers. Balloons are not flying there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he told state media journalists that police had arrested five persons suspected of involvement in smuggling cigarettes by air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u201c[The suspects] rented an empty house to store packs of cigarettes, a gas tank and weather balloons \u2013 everything for smuggling. Police have detained them. They are criminals who have been convicted multiple times. Real thugs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remarks came a day after \u0141uka\u0161enka held talks with John Coale, US special envoy for Belarus who negotiated the release of 250 imprisoned Belarusian dissidents and raised Lithuania\u2019s concerns over cigarette smuggling and truck seizures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re getting great progress with that\u201d, Coale told Reuters<\/em> after the meeting. \u201cI think that \u0141uka\u0161enka is in the mindset that these are not too important issues and they\u2019re \u2060worth giving up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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