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Lithuania will begin to shoot down aerial devices transporting illicit goods from Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This action responds after balloons entering Lithuanian airspace disrupted air traffic on several occasions recently, including at the weekend, accompanied by temporary closures of frontier checkpoints during these events.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement the strictest possible measures during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

National Security Actions

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access for cross-border diplomatic missions, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, but no other movement will be allowed.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Belarus.

Alliance Coordination

Authorities will discuss with international allies over the threat posed from the balloons and may discuss activating the alliance's consultation mechanism - a request for consultation by a Nato member country on any issue of concern, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

Lithuanian airports were closed three times at the weekend due to weather balloons from Belarus, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, according to Baltic News Service.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: by autumn measurements, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from neighboring territory during current year, an NCMC spokesman said, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

Regional Situation

Other European airports - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, during current period.