Lithuania declares state of emergency over balloon incursions from Belarus

Lithuania's government on Tuesday declared a state of emergency over security risks posed by smuggler balloons from Belarus that have violated its airspace in recent weeks.

Tensions between Vilnius and Minsk have escalated after meteorological balloons originating from Belarus forced neighbouring Lithuania to repeatedly close its main airport in the past weeks, leaving thousands of people stranded.

While the balloons are used to smuggle cigarettes into Lithuania, officials in the Baltic state say they are deliberate acts of disruption orchestrated by Russia-allied Belarus.

Announcing the state of emergency, the Lithuanian government cited "national security interests" and the threat to human life, property and the environment from the balloons.

The decision followed a cabinet meeting of the EU and NATO member and a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion, now in its fourth year.

"The emergency was declared because of disruptions to civil aviation and because of national security concerns," Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovičius told the meeting.

Kondratovičius said the government has asked parliament to allow the military to work together with police, border guard and security officials during the state of emergency. It was not immediately clear how long the state of emergency would last.

Last month, Prime Minister Inga Rugienenė said that the balloon incidents were a form of hybrid attack, and warned that the threat was growing after incursions occurred in Latvia.

Lithuania closed the Belarusian border for several weeks in late October due to the balloon threat.

Lithuania sees the smuggler balloons as part of a hybrid attack against the country. Minsk has previously provided a staging ground for hybrid warfare, accused of pushing thousands of would-be asylum seekers across the Polish and Lithuanian borders.

Minsk has denied responsibility for the balloons. In early November, Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka denounced Lithuania's move to close the border as a "mad scam".

Europe is on high alert after drone intrusions into NATO's airspace reached an unprecedented scale in September.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week described the balloon incursions as a "hybrid attack" by Belarus that was "completely unacceptable". She said the EU was preparing further measures against Minsk under its sanctions regime.