Lithuania declares nationwide state of emergency over Belarus threat

According to the statement, the smuggled balloons pose a threat to Lithuania's national security interests. The head of the State Emergency Management Agency for this period is Vladislav Kondratovič, the head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"It should be noted that the declaration of a state of emergency throughout the country will not cause any inconvenience to the population, as the measures taken will be targeted and proportionate and will be directed exclusively against the organizers and perpetrators of illegal actions," the statement says.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Internal Affairs explained that the state of emergency will allow agencies to coordinate their actions even more closely and involve military units in assisting.

According to the Ministry, since October 2025, Vilnius Airport has been closed for almost 60 hours due to the threat to civil aviation posed by smuggling balloons, which has affected more than 300 flights and over 47,000 passengers.

A state of emergency was declared throughout the country because the direction of the wind can change the course of the balloons.

Belarus' provocations against Lithuania

In October, Vilnius International Airport was forced to close several times due to balloons launched from Belarusian territory. This affected about 3,500 passengers and 25 flights: four were canceled, and seven were redirected.

After the incidents, the Lithuanian government convened a meeting of the National Security Commission and decided to close the border with Belarus for a month.

In November, the provocations continued—the airport had to be temporarily shut down again due to the appearance of unknown drones near the airfield.

On the night of November 24, there was another mass launch of balloons from Belarus into Lithuanian airspace.

In response, the European Union announced that it was preparing sanctions against Belarus for these provocations.