Lithuania declares national emergency over balloons from Belarus
The declaration is in response to frequent airspace violations by smuggling balloons that Lithuania calls a ‘hybrid attack’ from Belarus
Lithuania’s government has declared a national emergency over security risks posed by meteorological balloons sent from Russia-allied Belarus that have violated its airspace in recent weeks, while the Belarusian leader called for negotiations on border tensions and said his country “does not need war”.
The balloons forced Lithuania to repeatedly shut down its main airport, stranding thousands of people, as Europe remains on alert over previous intrusions into Nato airspace during the war in Ukraine.
“In combating the Belarusian hybrid attack, we must take the strictest measures and defend the areas most affected by this attack,” Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Tuesday.
The announcement followed a Cabinet meeting of the Baltic state, which is a Nato member and strong backer of Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces who launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The national emergency means the army will be able to patrol the border area together with other uniformed services and receive extra rights from parliament, such as to conduct searches or detain people.