Flights at Lithuania’s Vilnius Čiurlionis International Airport (VNO) were disrupted for hours after approximately two dozen meteorological balloons carrying thousands of smuggled cigarettes entered the country’s airspace from Belarus.
The closure caused 30 flight cancellations, affecting 6,000 passengers. Authorities have since recovered at least 11 balloons, carrying 18,000 cigarette cartons.
Balloon-based smuggling is common in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland due to its low cost, despite being weather-dependent. Authorities previously closed VNO after drone and balloon incursions from Belarus, which again disrupted air traffic.
The incident highlights ongoing airspace security challenges in the region. Rising European tension over drone incursions—including at least one earlier Lithuanian airport closure—is often focused on UAVs with a suspected link to Russia.
