Lithuania Flights Halted by Smuggling Balloons from Belarus

Vilnius Airport in Lithuania faced major disruptions when balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes from Belarus triggered a flight suspension from 10:15 PM Saturday (04.10.2025) to 4:40 AM Sunday, according to Darius Buta of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre, as reported by AFP. Approximately 30 flights were delayed, canceled, or diverted after two balloons neared the airport. Authorities later recovered eleven balloons loaded with contraband cigarettes on Sunday morning.

Criminal networks are increasingly using weather balloons to smuggle cheap Belarusian cigarettes into the EU, where tobacco prices are much higher. In 2024, Lithuanian border guards recorded 966 such balloons, with 544 detected in 2025 so far. Since last year, security forces have been authorized to shoot down these balloons upon entering Lithuanian airspace. Officials clarified this is organized crime, not sabotage or espionage. “These are criminal acts involving unmanned aircraft or weather balloons, not political provocation,” said the Crisis Management Centre spokesperson.