Lithuanian border forces intercepted, on the night of November 11, eight balloons launched from Belarus, used for cigarette smuggling.
One of them was located at the Rudninkai training ground in the Šalčininkai district, with 1,500 packs of cigarettes attached to a triangular structure. In total, the balloons carried more than 13 thousand packs of illegal products.
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Authorities recorded two cases in Šalčininkai district and six in Varėna. Seven of the balloons were tracked by intelligence agents and one by police, all equipped with GPS transmitters to monitor the cargo. An inquiry was opened to investigate the case. That same night, Lithuanian guards shot down a homemade drone coming from Belarus, the contents of which have not yet been identified.
The incidents also affected air traffic, leading to the diversion of three flights bound for Vilnius. The Lithuanian government classified the actions as part of a hybrid offensive by Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, an accusation that the Belarusian leader denied.
The European Union and NATO expressed support for Lithuania, which had already faced similar episodes 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… pic.twitter.com/ZhN4q1qESD
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) October 5, 2025
