{"id":161096,"date":"2025-10-22T17:40:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T14:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/161096\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lithuanian-prime-minister-issues-warning-over-cigarette-smuggling-balloons","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/161096\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian prime minister issues warning over cigarette-smuggling balloons"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 22, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginien\u0117 has warned that Vilnius will close its border in the event of another mass entry of cigarette-smuggling balloons from Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lithuanian authorities will make this decision \u201chere and now,\u201d she was quoted by BNS<\/em> as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will not make any concessions to Belarus on this issue,\u201d the Lithuanian premier said. \u201cWe definitely won\u2019t waste any time\u2026 This clearly tells our neighbors that we definitely will not tolerate similar actions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She made the statement after Lithuania briefly halted traffic at its shared border with Belarus this morning over incursions by weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilmantas Vitkauskas of the National Crisis Management Center described the incident as a \u201ccoordinated operation\u201d as balloons of Belarusian origin were found across five Lithuanian districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuanian authorities have so far reportedly located eight balloons and arrested one suspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incursions disrupted the operation of the Vilnius Airport, which is located close to the border, Delfi<\/em> reported. Earlier this month, 25 cigarette-smuggling weather balloons were flown into Lithuania from Belarus, affecting about 30 flights at Vilnius Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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