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Authorities have decided to intercept and destroy aerial devices transporting contraband tobacco across the border, its prime minister has warned.

This decision follows after unauthorized aerial incursions forced Vilnius Airport to close on several occasions recently, affecting holiday travel, while authorities suspended frontier checkpoints during these events.

International border access continues restricted following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "our nation stands prepared to implement maximum response protocols during unauthorized aerial intrusions."

Official Measures

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, officials noted embassy personnel maintain access between the two countries, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, but no other movement will be allowed.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to Belarus stating that asymmetric operations face opposition within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to prevent similar incidents," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from Minsk officials.

International Consultation

Authorities will discuss with international allies over the threat posed from the balloons while potentially considering invocation of the alliance's consultation mechanism - a provision enabling alliance discussion regarding security matters, specifically concerning defense matters - officials noted.

Travel Impacts

Aviation hubs faced multiple shutdowns during holiday periods from balloon incidents crossing the international border, disrupting air transport and passenger movement, per transportation authority data.

During the current month, several unauthorized objects traversed the border, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

These incidents continue previous patterns: by autumn measurements, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, per government spokesperson comments, while 966 were recorded last year.

European Context

Additional aviation facilities - including in Copenhagen and Munich - faced comparable aviation security challenges, with unauthorized drone observations, over past months.