On Thursday evening, Lithuanian authorities temporarily closed the airspace over Vilnius after balloons flying from Belarus were detected heading towards the capital's airport. The restrictions lasted from 8:10 PM to 10:43 PM local time, Vilnius Airport reported. This was reported by Politico, writes UNN.
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This is the sixth time in October that flights over the Lithuanian capital have had to be suspended due to such incidents. Two flights bound for Vilnius were forced to return to their departure airports.
According to local media, Belarus systematically launches balloons towards Lithuania – officially for alleged cigarette smuggling, but Vilnius considers this a provocation and an element of hybrid warfare. In response, Lithuania closed its border with Belarus until November 30, strengthening controls along the entire demarcation line.