{"id":161820,"date":"2025-10-27T23:48:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T20:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/161820\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"minsk-vilnius-in-diplomatic-spat-over-balloon-smuggling","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/161820\/","title":{"rendered":"Minsk, Vilnius in diplomatic spat over balloon smuggling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 27, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong>Lithuania has lodged another strong protest to Belarus over repeated airspace violations involving balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from Belarusian territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLithuania considers the deliberate inaction of the institutions of Belarus to be a hybrid attack and is closing its state border with Belarus until further notice,\u201d the Lithuanian foreign ministry has said on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier today, Erikas Vilkanecas, Lithuanian charg\u00e9 d’affaires in Belarus, was summoned to the Belarusian foreign ministry, where he was handed a note of protest \u201cin connection with the latest unilateral closure of the border carried out without any prior notification.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis decision, which affects the rights not only of Belarusian nationals, but also of Lithuanians, as well as citizens of the European Union and other states, clearly demonstrates Vilnius’ disregard for the fundamental principles of freedom of movement \u2013 one of the fundamental values of the Schengen area and the EU as a whole,\u201d the ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions over cigarette-smuggling balloons have been rising since October 22, forcing Lithuanian authorities to briefly close the border on several occasions and suspend operations at Vilnius Airport, located close to the Belarusian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, at least 66 flying objects were recorded entering Lithuanian airspace \u2013 roughly twice as many as on October 25, according to Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Lithuania reacted by closing down the \u0160al\u010dininkai border crossing on the shared border with Belarus for an indefinite period, allowing only limited passage through Medininkai for Lithuanians, EU citizens, their family members and holders of Lithuanian residence permits returning from Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Border crossings in Medininkai and \u0160al\u010dininkai were the only two checkpoints handling all cross-border traffic between Lithuania and Belarus after Vilnius closed \u0160umskas and Tvere\u010dius crossings in 2023 and Lavori\u0161k\u0117s and Raigardas in 2024, citing national security and smuggling among the reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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