The Lithuanian government introduced a state of emergency on Friday 5 December in consequence to repeated violations of airspace by balloons and drones sent from Belarus. This year there have been around 600 violations by smuggling balloons and 197 incidents involving drones, which repeatedly forced the closure of Vilnius Airport.
The effects on air traffic proved to be serious. According to Lithuanian MMA data, the airport in the capital was closed respective times in October and November, the last time last weekend. More than 320 flights and more than 45,000 passengers have been affected, accounting for about 5 percent of all travellers during this period.
The government talks about hybrid attacks.
The Lithuanian authorities classify these incidents as hybrid attacks. Prime Minister Inga Rugiene went further on 4 December in her assessment of the situation. “Such actions of Minsk may besides be considered acts of terror”, she declared.
According to the Lithuanian authorities, cigaret smugglers operating from Belarus are behind the balloons. Lithuania blames the Minsk authorities for not taking action to prevent these practices. According to Lithuania, the Belarusian authorities do not take any steps to halt the dispatch of balloons and drones affecting Lithuanian airspace.
Note: This article was created utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI).