Hot Air Balloons Disrupt Flights in Lithuania
Vilnius, Lithuania – Late Saturday, up to 25 small hot air balloons, some suspected of carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace, resulting in the closure of Vilnius airport and delays for several hours.
The National Crisis Management Centre reported that the balloons caused disruptions to 30 flights, affecting around 6,000 passengers. Flights resumed early Sunday at 4:50 AM (GMT).
The hot air balloons were later identified as carriers for cigarettes, but this incident has raised concerns throughout Europe, especially following NATO’s increased activities in the region. Some officials indicated it could be a test of NATO’s response capabilities amid rising tensions with Moscow, prompting questions about the alliance’s readiness against Russian actions.
Lithuania and its Baltic neighbors are especially pertinent in this context. There have been prior incidents, such as a drone, reportedly Russian-made, that crashed in Vilnius county after flying from Belarus in July. Another similar drone carrying explosive material was found a week after crashing at a military site.
As a result of these threats, Congress has authorized troops to shoot down any unmanned drones breaching airspace.
According to spokesman Darius Pugh, two balloons flew over Vilnius airport, and there were more than 20 balloons documented in the area. There were reports of balloon activity between 8:45 PM Saturday and 4:30 AM Sunday.
Border police have retrieved 11 balloons and around 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes from various sites. Smugglers from Belarus have increasingly resorted to using balloons, which are much more affordable than drones, to transport contraband into the EU.
A similar balloon incident occurred last August but involved fewer units. Last year, Lithuanian authorities intercepted 966 hot air balloons from Belarus; this year, 544 have already been recorded.
“While smuggling using balloons and drones is illegal, it shouldn’t be seen as a provocation or sabotage,” a representative noted.
