The Lithuanian Prime Minister announced the declaration of a national state of emergency due to the meteorological balloons from Belarus, which affect civil aviation.

The Prime Minister of Lithuania, Inga Ruginiene, declared on Friday that the country will establish a "national state of emergency" due to meteorological balloons used for smuggling, launched from Belarus. Inga Ruginiene specified that the necessary documents for this measure are being prepared, considering it the best solution in the current context. The state of emergency will allow the government to allocate additional resources in the fight against smuggling.

The airports in Vilnius and Kaunas have been forced to suspend operations due to incursions of balloons, which fly at altitudes of up to ten kilometers, affecting civil aviation. Lithuania accuses Belarus of a hybrid war, and recently incidents involving balloons have intensified, leading to the temporary closure of border crossing points. In response, Belarus has imposed restrictions on Lithuanian trucks, which Vilnius considers an act of "hostage-taking." Thousands of Lithuanian trucks are stranded in Belarus, and Lithuania is calling for harsher sanctions against the regime in Minsk.