Lithuania has declared a state of emergency after hundreds of smuggler balloons from neighbouring Belarus forced the repeated closure of its airport in recent weeks and threatened national security.
The move by the government on Tuesday follows multiple appeals to the EU to take more action against what Vilnius has said is the latest stage in Russia and Belarus’s hybrid war against Nato member states.
The giant balloons are used by smugglers to bring in contraband such as cigarettes into Lithuania. Vilnius airport has been closed for 60 hours in recent weeks, affecting more than 350 flights and 50,000 passengers. The airport in the city of Kaunas has also been forced to close several times.
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