Flights at Lithuania’s main international airport were thrown into chaos after dozens of contraband-filled balloons drifted into the country’s airspace from neighbouring Belarus, forcing Vilnius Airport to close for several hours over the weekend.
According to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC), 25 meteorological balloons were detected crossing the border, with two of them floating directly over the airport, prompting aviation authorities to suspend all air traffic for safety reasons.
The temporary shutdown resulted in 30 flight cancellations, disrupting travel plans for around 6,000 passengers. Airport officials said delays could continue into Monday as operations gradually return to normal.
Lithuanian authorities said the balloons were carrying thousands of packs of smuggled cigarettes, part of an ongoing pattern of cross-border contraband trafficking linked to Belarus. “Balloons with contraband cargo — cigarettes from Belarus — are nothing new in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland,” a spokesman for the NCMC said.
The State Border Guard Service reported that at least 11 of the balloons had been recovered so far, carrying an estimated 18,000 packs of black-market cigarettes. Officials warned that the total number could rise as search operations continue.
The NCMC added that 544 such balloons have entered Lithuania from Belarus so far this year, compared with 966 last year. Similar incidents have also been recorded in neighbouring Poland, where authorities have documented more than 100 cases of smuggling using balloons.
In one recent case, Polish police detained a Belarusian citizen whose car was found near a field where a contraband balloon had landed. Investigators discovered a geolocation tag on his phone linked to the illegal cargo.
Officials say smugglers favour meteorological balloons over drones because they are inexpensive and harder to trace, despite being unpredictable due to wind patterns. “Meteorological balloons are a rudimentary tool used by smugglers — they are cheaper than drones,” the NCMC spokesman explained. “Our goal is to seize as much contraband as possible and prevent risks to civil aviation.”
The incident comes amid broader regional security concerns, as several European countries have reported airspace violations involving unidentified drones. In September, Denmark temporarily closed its airports following unexplained drone sightings, while similar incursions were reported over Norway and Germany.
Though Russia has denied involvement, these incidents have raised alarm in European capitals, leading to renewed discussions about strengthening airspace surveillance and regional defences.
