Lithuanian border guards stopped eight balloons and a homemade drone launched from Belarus. The weather balloons were carrying over 13,000 packs of illegal cigarettes, and the drone was also likely carrying contraband.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated the need to consider restricting transit to Kaliningrad and a long-term closure of the border with Belarus. This is a response to a hybrid attack against Lithuania, which included the shutdown of airports due to balloons from Belarus.
On the evening of October 24, Lithuania closed two of its largest airports and border crossing points with Belarus. This happened due to air balloons flying from the Belarusian side.
Traffic at Vilnius Airport was temporarily suspended on October 21 due to dozens of balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes from Belarus. Eight flights were diverted to Kaunas and Warsaw.
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are developing emergency action plans that include the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in the event of a Russian military buildup or attack. This is a response to Russia's massive military spending and its invasion of Ukraine.
On Saturday evening, the airspace over Vilnius International Airport was restricted, likely due to spotted balloons. Flights are being diverted to alternate airfields in Kaunas, Riga, and Gdansk.
The Criminal Service of the Lithuanian Customs Department uncovered a scheme to circumvent sanctions against Russia, organized by 11 individuals. A company from Kaunas supplied water treatment equipment to Russian oil enterprises through Portugal, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
In Lithuania, the military has been searching for a drone that may have flown in from Belarus for the third day. The search is focused north of Kaunas, a helicopter has been involved, and over 100 people have been interviewed.
Lithuanian police received dozens of reports about an unknown object in the air, likely a drone from Belarus, spotted near Vilnius. The version that it is a disoriented Ukrainian air defense drone is being considered, and searches are ongoing in central Lithuania.
A letter with a white powder of unknown origin was found in a Kaunas school, leading to the evacuation of 300 people. Rescuers wearing protective suits collected the substance for testing in a laboratory.
Four batches of military items were found on passenger trains from Kaliningrad to Moscow. Camouflage pants and camouflage nets intended for the Russian military in Ukraine were confiscated.
Germany plans to deploy about 5,000 troops in Lithuania, which will be a historic step for the defense of NATO's eastern flank, and a full-fledged brigade will be deployed by 2027.
