Dozens of Balloons Close Vilnius Airport Overnight

Dozens of helium weather balloons carrying contraband cigarettes from Belarus forced Vilnius Airport to close overnight (roughly 10:23/10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.), cancel or divert about 30 flights and affect roughly 4,000 passengers; many of the tens of detected balloons were recovered. Lithuanian border guards temporarily closed some border crossings with Belarus, and authorities said the wave was one of the most intense this year with indications the releases were coordinated rather than from a single launch point. Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė convened a National Security Committee, demanded immediate solutions and warned she would close the border with Belarus if smuggler balloons reappear. Authorities have detained suspects (reports vary from one to several arrests) and launched an investigation into who organised the launches. Lithuanian officials and EU/NATO observers have framed the episodes as a serious security and hybrid-warfare concern and urged Belarus to cooperate to halt the smuggling flights. The incidents come amid wider European airspace incursions, including a separate drone sighting that briefly halted arrivals at Palma de Mallorca Airport, prompting investigations and operational disruptions at multiple airports.