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The Baltic nation plans to intercept and destroy aerial devices transporting illicit goods from Belarus, its prime minister has warned.

This action responds after foreign objects crossing the border forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times over the past week, affecting holiday travel, with the government also closing cross-border movement during each incident.

Frontier crossing points remain suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing aerial incidents.

The government leader stated, "we are ready to take maximum response protocols against airspace violations."

Government Response

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "all necessary measures" to intercept unauthorized devices.

Concerning border measures, the Prime Minister confirmed diplomatic movement continues across the international border, and EU citizens and Lithuanians can enter from Belarus, but no other movement will be allowed.

"This represents our clear message to foreign authorities and saying that no hybrid attack will be tolerated within our territory, and we'll implement maximum countermeasures to stop such attacks," she said.

Official communications saw no quick answer from the neighboring government.

Alliance Coordination

Authorities will discuss with international allies regarding the aerial device concerns and may discuss activating Nato's Article 4 - a protocol allowing member state consultation about national security issues, especially related to its security - she added.

Travel Impacts

National air facilities experienced triple closures over the weekend because of aerial devices from Belarus, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, per transportation authority data.

During the current month, multiple aerial devices crossed into Lithuanian airspace, leading to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: by autumn measurements, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace across the frontier in recent months, according to official statements, while 966 were recorded last year.

International Perspective

Additional aviation facilities - such as Scandinavian and German locations - have also been affected by air incursions, including drone sightings, in recent weeks.