Lithuania is considering several options to counter the growing threat posed by smugglers’ balloons launched from Belarus, including the possibility of declaring an emergency situation, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said Wednesday.
“A proposal to declare an emergency situation has been made,” Kondratovič told reporters. “As a law enforcement authority that has created a joint working group and is carrying out coordinated actions, we are already partially implementing measures that would be used during an emergency situation.”
Kondratovič said the government would continue assessing the impact on public safety and border security. “If the situation does not change, we will plan to consult with the head of the National Crisis Management Centre on whether there is a possibility or a need to declare an emergency situation,” he said.
Aurelijus Veryga, a member of the European Parliament and chairman of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, part of the ruling coalition, told the radio Žinių Radijas earlier Wednesday that such a declaration “would help activate more intensive mechanisms and untie the hands of certain institutions”.
Kondratovič said Lithuania was also set to meet with the European Commission on Wednesday evening to discuss the airspace threat.
“We will discuss our proposals and hear their position,” he said. “We will also present our case to the Council of Ministers in Brussels and meet with interested parties to explain our situation, which is in fact an attack on the European Union. This is not just Lithuania’s airspace – it is part of the European Union’s airspace.”
Lithuania plans to propose personal sanctions against individuals who fail to act to stop what it calls Belarus’ hybrid attack on Lithuania and the EU. The government also intends to push for a role for Frontex, the EU border agency, in anti-drone operations.
“In my view, the powers, equipment and measures are among the most immediate tasks for the Commission,” Kondratovič said. “We will encourage this to begin as soon as possible, until common EU capabilities are created that could respond to such hybrid threats.”
Kondratovič earlier this week sent a letter to the EU commissioner for migration and home affairs urging support for sanctions on Belarus officials. The letter also stressed that Lithuania is awaiting the Commission’s legislative proposal to review Frontex’s mandate.
According to the Interior Ministry, 599 smuggling balloons and 197 drones have entered Lithuanian airspace so far this year. The incidents disrupted 320 flights, affected 47,000 passengers and resulted in nearly 60 hours of airport closures.
In recent months, smugglers’ balloons from Belarus have forced Vilnius Airport to halt operations more than a dozen times and Kaunas Airport once.
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