The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, condemned the unauthorized entries of Belarus into the airspace of Lithuania as a "hybrid attack" by the Lukashenko regime.

This made the statements after a discussion with the Lithuanian president, Gitanas Nausėda, in the context of the increase in illegal balloon smuggling entries. The airport in Vilnius imposed temporary restrictions over the weekend due to navigation signals associated with these balloons, affecting over 7,400 passengers and causing the cancellation of 31 flights. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Kėstutis Budrys, accused Belarus of "deliberately targeting" the airport, and Lithuania closed its border with Belarus in October due to repeated violations of its airspace. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry criticized this decision, claiming it violates the rights of citizens.