Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginene said the country would start shooting down smuggler balloons that repeatedly cross the border from Belarus and violate Lithuanian airspace, Reuters reported, quoted by News.bg.
In the past week, Lithuania, a NATO member, was forced to temporarily close Vilnius airport four times after such balloons entered national airspace. In these cases, border crossings with Belarus were also temporarily closed.
According to authorities, the balloons are being used to transfer cigarettes, but Vilnius also accuses the Belarusian government of not stopping these actions. Prime Minister Ruginene described the incidents as „hybrid attacks“ and announced that border crossings with Belarus would remain closed, except for diplomats and EU citizens leaving the country.
„Today we decided to take the strictest measures - there is no other way“, Ruginene told a press conference.
She added that the government could discuss activating Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which provides for consultations between allies in the event of a security threat.