The EU Council has decided to impose sanctions against those involved in hybrid activities, following the incursions of meteorological balloons from Belarus that affected Lithuania.

The Council of the European Union has announced new measures that allow for the imposition of sanctions against individuals and entities involved in hybrid activities, including information manipulation and external interference. This decision comes against the backdrop of repeated incursions of meteorological balloons from Belarus into Lithuanian airspace, which have disrupted air traffic and led to the closure of Vilnius airport.

Lithuanian authorities claim that these balloons are used by smugglers to transport goods across the border, and the President of Belarus has been criticized for complicity. In this context, Lithuania has declared a state of emergency due to these incursions, for an indefinite period.