Lithuania Declares Emergency Over Belarus ‘Hybrid Attack’

The Lithuanian government has declared a “nationwide emergency situation”in response to a series of incursions from neighboring Belarus. These border violations involve weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene condemned the balloon incursions, labeling them a “hybrid attack” by Belarus. She asserted that the actions pose a real risk to both Lithuania’s national security and civil aviation.

Scale of Incursions and Security Response

Officials report that this year alone, Lithuania’s airspace has been violated by approximately 600 balloons linked to smuggling. Additionally, nearly 200 drones have entered their airspace.

• Airport Disruption: These incursions have led to the repeated closure of Vilnius airport. The interior ministry noted that the balloons alone have caused the airport to be closed for over 60 hours since October.
• Passenger Impact: The airport disruptions affected approximately 1,000 passengers. Finnish airline Finnair has canceled all evening flights to Vilnius until the end of February due to the threat.
• Interceptions: Authorities have intercepted 11 smuggling balloons and seized nearly 40,000 packets of cigarettes.

The declaration of an “emergency situation” is a step below a full state of emergency, which was last imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The measure grants the armed forces additional powers to respond faster and more effectively to the threats.

Belarus Denies Involvement and Regional Tension

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko denied responsibility for the incursions. He alleged that Lithuania, a member of the EU and NATO, has “politicised” the issue. Speaking on Belarusian TV, Lukashenko dismissed the accusations as “unrealistic,” claiming that the balloons pose “no problem”.

However, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda said there is substantial evidence that the balloon threat is a “deliberate action aimed at destabilizing the situation in Lithuania”. Lukashenko is known as a close ally of Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

• Prior Provocation: Lithuania has accused Belarus of similar provocations before. Four years ago, thousands of irregular migrants, mostly from the Middle East, crossed the Belarusian border.
• Border Closures: In response to the latest threat, Lithuania closed two border checkpoints with Belarus for three weeks starting in late October. Belarus retaliated by barring Lithuanian trucks from driving on its roads, leaving hundreds of Lithuanian vehicles stranded.
• Terrorism Claim: Prime Minister Ruginiene warned last week that the actions, including the blocked trucks, could be recognized as terrorism.

This conflict is part of a broader trend, as several European countries have faced a range of threats from Russia, which the EU has condemned as a “hybrid campaign.”

The campaign includes sabotage, disruption to critical infrastructure, and recent drone flights near sensitive sites. The head of NATO’s military committee indicated that the Western alliance is considering a more“aggressive” or “pro-active” stance toward this type of hybrid warfare.