In Lithuania, an airborne headache is disrupting travel and forcing authorities to keep their eyes on the sky: Hundreds of mysterious balloons have been floating across the border from neighboring Belarus.

Vilnius

Lithuania has experienced a significant increase in contraband smuggling from Belarus, with weather balloons being used to transport large quantities of cigarettes across the border. This method has caused disruptions, including the temporary shutdown of Vilnius airport and delays for thousands of passengers. 

Authorities have also detected other smuggling techniques, such as makeshift rafts and tunnels, as heightened border security has made traditional routes more difficult. The Lithuanian government has responded by seeking compensation in the International Court of Justice, accusing Belarus of organizing both migrant and tobacco smuggling into the European Union.

Smugglers floating contraband into Lithuania

These balloons aren't meant for kids. Last weekend they forced a shutdown at Vilnius airport. Thirty flights were impacted. Thousands of passengers were left waiting for hours in the middle of the night. Lithuanian authorities are certain the balloons came from neighbouring Belarus. They made many in Europe worry. For months now, drones believed to be of Russian origin have been violating EU airspace. But this time, it doesn't seem to be another act of hybrid aggression from Moscow's closest ally. We had a hot weekend, if you can call it that. Not because of the air temperature, but because of the wind direction. It turned out that smugglers had started using weather balloons to transport contraband, namely smuggled cigarettes, into Lithuania. Weather balloons carrying truckloads of cigarettes are becoming an increasingly popular tool for smugglers. This year alone, Lithuanian officials have reported more than 500 such balloons, nearly two and a half times more than last year. And balloons aren't the only invasive way contraband is making its way from Belarus into the EU. Here, thousands of cigarette packs are floating from Belarus into Lithuania on makeshift rafts along the Neman and Nurys rivers. And in these photos, border guards uncovered what seems to be a smuggler's tunnel near Lithuania's southern border. The reason behind such creativity among smugglers is the unprecedented level of security along the frontier. Lithuania not only terminated a railroad connection with Belarus, but also closed some border crossing points. First, they used some drones, but drones, our border guards managed to down them. And now nearly 80% of aerial traffic, contraband traffic, goes with air balloons. It's nearly the only way to cross the Belarus border for the smugglers. Lithuania started building this 500-kilometer fence even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The country was trying to protect itself from a massive wave of migrants sent there by the Belarusian authorities. This move was seen as Russia's and Belarus' means of hybrid warfare against the EU. Now, Lithuania is seeking compensation for the damage in the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The government accused Belarus of organizing migrant smuggling. And while the flow of irregular migrants has slowed, tobacco smuggling into the EU is on the rise, with Belarus as one of the main sources.

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