On Friday evening, the airports in Vilnius and Kaunas were closed by the Ministry of Transport of Lithuania due to some weather balloons that entered the airspace from Belarus.

This is the third incident of this kind in the current month, in a context where European aviation has recently been affected by drone overflights and other air incursions, including in cities like Copenhagen and Munich. Air traffic was suspended until 10:00 PM (7:00 PM GMT) after authorities reported detecting ten balloons on radar. The airport in Vilnius had been closed on October 5, following similar incidents caused by balloons used for cigarette smuggling. Lithuania's Prime Minister, Inga Ruginienė, warned that the country might close the border with Belarus if such incidents continue.