"Fourth Airport Closure This Month" Helium Balloons Raise Tensions in Lithuania as Source Remains Unclear

On October 25 (local time), a helium weather balloon appeared once again over Vilnius Airport, the capital of Lithuania, a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), causing airport operations to be suspended for a second consecutive day. This is the fourth time a similar incident has occurred this month.

Lithuanian authorities announced that operations at Vilnius Airport were suspended from late at night until 2 a.m. the following morning. Two border checkpoints leading to Belarus were also closed during the same period.

This marks the fourth time this month that operations at Vilnius Airport have been suspended due to the appearance of a helium balloon, following incidents on the 5th, 21st, and 24th.

Lithuanian authorities believe that smugglers are using helium balloons as a means to smuggle cigarettes. They have criticized neighboring Belarus for allowing such activities to go unchecked.

Earlier, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Simonyte stated the previous day, "Next week, the National Security Council will be convened to assess what measures can be taken in the short term to inflict pain on the smugglers and on the (Belarusian President Alexander) Lukashenko regime that allows them to thrive."

Lithuania, a former Soviet Union member state and now a NATO member, shares borders with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, making the geopolitical situation highly tense.

Since last month, after Poland shot down a Russian drone, reports of suspicious drones and airport closures have been occurring across Europe. Recently, Munich and Frankfurt airports were temporarily closed as well.