{"id":165523,"date":"2025-11-25T12:18:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T09:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/165523\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"isw-links-belarusian-balloon-incursions-to-russias-preparations-for-conflict-with-nato","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/165523\/","title":{"rendered":"ISW links Belarusian balloon incursions to Russia\u2019s preparations for conflict with NATO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Lithuanian State Border Guard Service)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

November 25, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Balloon incursions from Belarus in NATO airspace in Lithuania and Latvia may signal Russia’s preparations for a potential confrontation with NATO,\u00a0the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The analysis followed reports of more than 40 balloons entering Lithuanian airspace and about 30 crossing into Latvia from Belarus on the night of November 24. The Vilnius International Airport, located close to the Belarusian border, temporarily suspended operations twice that night, said Vilmantas Vitkauskas, Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given Minsk\u2019s continued support for Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine, Belarusian incursions into NATO airspace may be part of what analysts described as Russia\u2019s \u201cPhase Zero,\u201d an information and psychological shaping campaign intended to prepare the environment for a possible future clash with NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia is increasingly engaging in covert and overt attacks against Europe, the ISW stressed, citing these incidents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania over cigarette-smuggling balloons have been rising since mid-October, 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

Vilnius kept the Medininkai\u2013Kamienny \u0141oh and \u0160al\u010dininkai\u2013Bieniakoni checkpoints at the shared border with Belarus closed from October 29 to November 20 over the incursions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginien\u0117 convened a meeting of the National Security Committee for later this week to consider closing the border with Belarus again or adopting other measures in response to ongoing incursions by weather balloons used to smuggle cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lithuania\u2019s FM calls for new EU sanctions amid \u201ccombined attack\u201d from Belarus<\/h3>\n
November 24, Pozirk. Airspace incursions by weather balloons and the seizure of Lithuanian trucks are part of a "combined attack" by Belarus, Lithuanian Foreign Minister K\u0119stutis Budrys has said ahead of the European Union\u2019s Foreign Affairs Council on Trade. Cigarette-smuggling …<\/div>\n \n