Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Thursday vowed to respond “with all possible measures” after operations at Vilnius Airport were again halted over security concerns linked to smuggler balloons launched from Belarus.
“Hybrid attacks are continuing. Once again, operations at Vilnius Airport have stopped, causing major inconvenience for passengers. We will respond with all possible measures,” Nausėda wrote on Facebook Thursday evening.
He said Lithuania’s response would include “kinetic measures”.
“The armed forces have such capabilities. However, destroying balloons is not simple – it requires great precision. I believe our military will soon find the most appropriate and safest solution,” Nausėda said.
The president also pledged to punish those involved in smuggling cigarettes with weather balloons within Lithuania.
“Unfortunately, smuggling remains a major problem. It encourages criminals to continue using methods that, as we can see, endanger aviation safety and cause significant losses. Ultimately, the Belarusian regime profits from this,” he wrote.
Nausėda added that Lithuania would increase pressure on Minsk. Vilnius officials have argued that the Belarusian government is somehow involved in sending smuggler balloons across the border. As a result, Lithuania closed down its two remaining checkpoints on the Belarusian border as a way of pressuring Minsk.
“The closed border reflects the current state of our relations. We know the [Belarusian] regime is interested in continuing smuggling and testing Lithuania’s patience. But we have our own tools, including national and EU sanctions – and we will use them, raising the temperature as much as needed,” the president said.
Over the last week, operations at Vilnius Airport were halted four times over similar threats, while Kaunas Airport was closed once.
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