Lithuanian border forces intercepted, on the night of November 11, eight balloons launched from Belarus, used for smuggling cigarettes.
One of them was located at the Rudninkai training field in the Šalčininkai district, with 1,500 packs of cigarettes attached to a triangular structure. In total, the balloons carried over 13,000 packs of illegal products.
Authorities recorded two cases in the Šalčininkai district and six in Varėna. Seven of the balloons were tracked by intelligence agents and one by the police, all equipped with GPS transmitters to monitor the cargo. An investigation has been opened to examine the case. On the same night, Lithuanian guards also shot down a homemade drone coming from Belarus, whose contents have not yet been identified.
The incidents also affected air traffic, causing the diversion of three flights bound for Vilnius. The Lithuanian government described the actions as part of a hybrid offensive by Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, an accusation the Belarusian leader denied.
The European Union and NATO expressed support for Lithuania, which had already faced similar incidents in early November.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @nexta_tv / @visegrad24 | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
Overnight, 25 smuggling balloons crossed from Belarus into Lithuania
Lithuanian authorities reported that 25 meteorological balloons crossed the border from Belarus overnight. Such devices are often used by smugglers to transport cigarettes.
The incident came amid the temporary… https://t.co/A5HPd2OUDf pic.twitter.com/ZhN4q1qESD
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