{"id":190928,"date":"2026-06-08T11:39:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T08:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/190928\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T11:39:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T08:39:26","slug":"vilnius-airport-suspends-operations-over-cigarette-smuggling-balloons-from-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/190928\/","title":{"rendered":"Vilnius airport suspends operations over cigarette-smuggling balloons from Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

June 8, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Vilnius International Airport suspended operations for nearly three hours early this morning due to a \u201chybrid attack from Belarus,\u201d after detecting navigation markers that looked like weather balloons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cigarette smugglers from Belarus use these balloons to transport illicit goods across the border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restrictions affected several flights, with passengers advised to contact their service providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This marks the tenth disruption to airport operations caused by balloon-related incidents this year. The most recent incident dates back to May 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania over cigarette-smuggling balloons have been rising since mid-October, forcing Lithuanian authorities to close the border and suspend operations at Vilnius International Airport, located close to the Belarusian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius declared an \u201cextreme situation,\u201d a low-level emergency, on December 9 in response to what it called \u201ca hybrid attack from Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar Luka\u0161enka, however, played down Vilnius\u2019s concerns in mid-March, claiming that weather balloons could not affect airport operations. He also told state media journalists that police had arrested five persons suspected of involvement in smuggling cigarettes by air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remarks came a day after \u0141uka\u0161enka held talks with John Coale, US special envoy for Belarus, who negotiated the release of 250 imprisoned Belarusian dissidents and raised Lithuania\u2019s concerns over cigarette smuggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius has repeatedly tied any potential engagement with Minsk to a halt in the ongoing balloon incursions, among other conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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