Lithuania

Belarus admits knowing about balloons disrupting Vilnius Airport traffic, blames sanctions

The Lithuanian border guards reported that the number of contraband balloons crossing the border has risen exponentially.

Photo: Lithuanian Airports

Aleksandr Lukashenko, the de facto dictator of Belarus, has admitted that the Belarusian Government has been aware of the contraband balloons that have disrupted air traffic at Vilnius Airport (VNO), as well as Kaunas Airport (KUN), on multiple occasions in October 2025.

In a press conference, Lukashenko, who aired his grievances about Lithuania and Poland’s border closures, admitted that Belarus has been aware of the contraband balloons that have disrupted flights at VNO, at times, KUN, over the past month.

Lukashenko went on a long rant about the situation, saying that the cigarette factories in Grodno have produced more tobacco than is needed for the domestic market, and since they are cheaper in Belarus, “our people” thought to export them to the European Union (EU), he stated.

“Our people get cigarettes from the factory at a good price and sell them to earn some money for themselves […]. They sell them to the Lithuanians.”

However, Belarusian nationals have to get the cigarettes over the border, and they have been using balloons to do so, according to Lukashenko, adding that border guards on both sides should see this happening. “And they do see it, but the Lithuanian border guards are also getting money,” he said.

“Did our [border guards] see it? They almost certainly did. So what? You imposed sanctions against us, you are strangling us.”

Lukashenko questioned whether Belarus and its authorities should protect those countries that have sanctioned Belarus, “so, fine, let those balloons fly,” as if insinuating that Belarusian authorities are allowing these balloons to cross the border, which pose a risk to civil aircraft flying from/to Lithuania.

At the same time, the country’s dictator admitted that the fact that the balloons could endanger the lives of civilians was “unacceptable,” yet launched into another tirade of allegations about how Lithuanians themselves have launched these balloons out of the territory of Belarus.

“How can I blame [Belarusians] for anything? What is the fault of the Belarusians?”

Whatever the case might be, Lithuanian Airports (Lietuvos Oro Uostai, LTOU) said that it has begun preparing a case to protect their and their partners’ interests. In a statement on October 30, just shortly before VNO’s air traffic was closed once again, LTOU pointed out that the losses stemming from the disruptions “have not yet been quantified, but it is clear that significant direct and indirect damage has been done to the state, passengers, Lithuanian Airports, airlines, and other partners.”

LTOU detailed that “the legal process is expected to proceed in stages, and currently, an assessment of all direct and indirect damages is underway,” with the government-owned company inviting affected stakeholders to participate in the process.

“According to the airports’ estimates, the airlines’ losses amount to hundreds of thousands of euros.”

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (Valstybės sienos apsaugos tarnyba, VSAT) indicated that the volume of contraband balloons ‘crossing’ the border into Lithuania has increased exponentially in 2025.

Year-to-date (YTD), VSAT had intercepted 546 balloons, while in 2024, there were 226 balloons that were spotted by the service. In 2023 and 2022, there were three and zero cases, respectively. In addition to balloons, VSAT had seized 50 drones with illicit cigarettes YTD, while in 2024, the border service had taken over 54 drones, which originated in Belarus.

In a press conference on October 27, Inga Ruginienė, the Prime Minister (PM) of Lithuania, admitted that in 2024, the country was like “blind chickens” due to the lack of radar coverage. Now, with better capabilities to spot various objects coming across the border, officials can evaluate risks and close the airspace to protect its citizens, Ruginienė added.

Excluding the October 30 airport closure, which had extended into the early morning hours of October 31, at least 43 flights had to divert from KUN or VNO due to the balloon-caused ground stops, according to data that Flightradar24 provided to The Engine Cowl.