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Lithuania will begin to shoot down aerial devices transporting illicit goods from Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border disrupted air traffic multiple times over the past week, including at the weekend, with the government also closing frontier checkpoints during these events.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said, "authorities will not hesitate to employ even the most severe actions against airspace violations."

Government Response

Detailing the measures during a briefing, officials stated defense units were executing "all necessary measures" to eliminate aerial threats.

Regarding frontier restrictions, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel across the international border, with special provisions for EU and Lithuanian nationals, however general movement continues suspended.

"This represents our clear message to foreign authorities and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," she said.

Authorities received no prompt reaction from Minsk officials.

International Consultation

Lithuania plans to consult its allies about the security challenges presented while potentially considering invocation of the alliance's consultation mechanism - a request for consultation by a Nato member country about national security issues, particularly involving territorial protection - the Prime Minister concluded.

Flight Cancellations

National air facilities experienced triple closures at the weekend due to weather balloons originating from neighboring territory, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, based on regional media reports.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, per national security agency reports.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: through early October, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from neighboring territory during current year, an NCMC spokesman said, compared to higher numbers in prior period.

International Perspective

Other European airports - including in Copenhagen and Munich - experienced similar aerial disruptions, including drone sightings, during current period.