Lithuania declared a state of emergency on Tuesday due to threats to public security from Belarusian hot air balloons, which have repeatedly appeared in its airspace and this time in number … It’s almost 600.
Although the balloons carry small loads of tobacco, claiming to be part of a smuggling operation, the Lithuanian government says it is sure it is just another tool of hybrid warfare by Lukashenko’s Belarusian regime, with the aim of destabilizing the country, a key element in the defense of NATO’s eastern flank.
The presence of these balloons, whose structure and appearance are the same as those of the Russian army’s reconnaissance balloons, has repeatedly forced the closure of Vilnius and Kaunas airports and the interruption of air traffic, making it difficult for NATO fighters to take off in the area.
“The state of emergency is announced not only due to interruptions in civil aviation, but also for reasons of national security,” said the Lithuanian Interior Minister. Vladislav Kondratovicafter a government meeting broadcast live on Lithuanian television.
The declaration of a state of emergency grants greater operational freedom to the army, allowing it to act in coordination with the police or independently, Kondratovic explained without specifying details. The duration of the emergency measures has not yet been decided and will depend on security needs.
Belarus, which authorized the use of its territory for the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has denied any responsibility by hot air balloons and accused Lithuania of provocations, including the alleged sending of a drone to drop “extremist material”, an accusation that Lithuania in turn rejects.
Von der Leyen acknowledged that the situation on that border was “getting worse” and called the incursions a “hybrid attack.”
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenrecognized on December 1 that the situation on this border was “getting worse” and described the balloon incursions as a “hybrid attack” by Belarus which it considered “totally unacceptable”.
Even though NATO fighters have taken off several times to ensure the security of this border, this is the first time a state of emergency has been declared in Lithuania since 2021, when the government in Minsk facilitated a flow of illegal immigration that was transported to Moscow and from there to Minsk by plane, only to be transferred by road and pushed into Lithuania by Belarusian border guards.
The army was then deployed to the border to restrict access to the area to non-residents. After Russia invaded Ukraine, amid fears that Lithuania could also become a target, a state of emergency was used to enact restrictions on freedom of expression and put a stop to what the government described as possible Russian propaganda.
“We must do the same”
It is not always clear who is behind the balloons, although often Russia and Belarus are obviously responsible. Czech president Pierre Pavel thought out loud last weekend about the possibility of shooting down Russian drones, or even balloons or planes. “Russia would not tolerate repeated violations of its airspace, we must do the same,” he urged the governments of the region.
In addition to the nearly 600 balloons, the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior counted 197 drones entering the airspace this year, also from Belarus. According to LRT radio, the Interior Ministry has data on the consequences of these incursions: 320 flights affected, 47,000 passengers grounded and 60 hours of airport closures in 2025. “It’s a show of force, a threat, they want to make us feel that these balloons could be loaded with something other than tobacco,” admitted a member of the Lithuanian government during the recent German-Baltic conference held in Vilnius.
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