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The Baltic nation plans to intercept and destroy helium balloons carrying illicit goods from Belarus, government officials confirmed.

This action responds after foreign objects crossing the border necessitated airport closures multiple times over the past week, including at the weekend, with the government also closing cross-border movement during each incident.

International border access continues restricted following repeated balloon incursions.

The government leader stated, "we are ready to take the strictest possible measures when our airspace is violated."

National Security Actions

Outlining the strategy to media, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "all necessary measures" to shoot down balloons.

Concerning border measures, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues for cross-border diplomatic missions, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, however general movement continues suspended.

"Through these actions, we communicate to Belarus declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to stop such attacks," she said.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from the neighboring government.

Alliance Coordination

The Baltic nation intends to coordinate with partners over the threat posed from the balloons while potentially considering invocation of the NATO consultation clause - a request for consultation by a Nato member country about national security issues, especially related to its security - officials noted.

Airport Disruptions

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns at the weekend due to weather balloons originating from neighboring territory, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, according to Baltic News Service.

In recent weeks, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

The phenomenon is not new: as of 6 October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from Belarus this year, per government spokesperson comments, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

Regional Situation

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - experienced similar aerial disruptions, involving unmanned aerial vehicles, during current period.