On December 5, 2025, Lithuania’s Interior Ministry proposed declaring a nationwide state-level emergency in response to a surge of smuggler balloons and drones entering Lithuanian airspace from neighboring Belarus. In 2025 alone, 599 smuggler balloons and 197 drones were detected entering Lithuanian airspace, causing disruptions to 320 flights and affecting 47,000 passengers with nearly 60 hours of airport shutdowns. Although Lithuania temporarily closed the border with Belarus due to these incursions, balloon activities continued after reopening. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys accused Belarusian authorities of deliberately disrupting civil aviation and called for a joint NATO response. The balloons are used by smugglers to transport contraband cigarettes from Belarus into Lithuania. The government is expected to decide on the emergency proposal the following week.
Category: Military & Paramilitary Operations
Subcategory: Conventional Military Pressure
Incident Type: Airspace violations
Country: Lithuania
Source report: viabaltica.fi/lithuania…
