Lithuania responded to repeated smuggling attempts using drones and weather balloons by amending legislation to empower border guards to shoot down these flying objects. The measure aims to tighten national security along the Lithuania-Belarus border and protect critical infrastructure through no-fly zones. The amendment was announced by Interior Vice Minister Vitalyij Dmitrijev and follows reports of numerous contraband-carrying drones reaching urban centers such as Vilnius. In 2024, 351 weather balloons were detected crossing from Belarus, with 138 intercepted. The State Border Guard Service noted a recent decline in such smuggling activities. This legal change reflects Lithuania’s proactive stance against unconventional smuggling tactics along its eastern border.
Category: Military & Paramilitary Operations
Subcategory: Unconventional / Paramilitary
Incident Type: Use of ‘little green men’ (unmarked soldiers)
Country: Lithuania
Source report: www.lrt.lt/en/news-i…
