Smuggled Balloons From Belarus Disrupted The Work Of Vilnius Airport
6- 22.03.2026, 16:31
- 1,512
Lithuania views the incident as an element of a hybrid threat from Minsk.
Vilnius airport temporarily halted operations on the night of March 22 due to the detection of objects resembling smuggled balloons in the airspace.
As LRT reports with reference to Lithuanian Airports, the restrictions were imposed at 1:33 a.m. Minsk time after the fixation of navigation marks that posed a threat to aviation. Just over an hour later - at 2:46 - the airspace was opened and the airport resumed operations.
The restrictions affected at least three flights. Airport officials warned that there could be isolated delays on Sunday and Monday due to disrupted crew and airplane rotation. Passengers whose flights were canceled or delayed are advised to contact airlines directly.
This is the fourth time this year that Vilnius airport operations have been disrupted by the threat of smuggled balloons. Previously, similar restrictions were imposed last week and lasted about 15 minutes.
Since the beginning of 2026, Lithuania has already intercepted 45 weather probes carrying cigarettes that arrived from Belarus. Of these, 29 were recorded in January and 16 in the two weeks of February. The total value of these cigarettes amounted to about 540 thousand euros. 22 people connected with air smuggling of cigarettes were detained.
In 2025, border guards detained 171 people suspected of involvement in smuggling. Also last year, they intercepted 635 shipments of cigarettes, which were transferred by balloons to Lithuania.
Lithuanian authorities consider the launch of such balloons as an element of a hybrid attack from Minsk. In December last year, the country declared an emergency situation in connection with this threat, and in October the border with Belarus was temporarily closed.
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