Following a series of breaches of Lithuanian airspace, the Vilnius government declared a state of emergency (called precisely the ‘state of utmost situation’) throughout the country. These include drones and smuggling balloons released from Belarus, which have frequently disrupted air traffic.
The scale of the problem is serious: there have already been around 600 violations by balloons and nearly 200 by drones this year. Balloon sabotage forced respective decisions to close Vilnius Airport, which affected over 320 flights and 45,000 passengers. Vilnius accuses Minsk of tolerating – or even utilizing – smuggling as a tool of pressure. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė says directly: it is an component of hybrid action, and possibly even acts of terror.
The decision to introduce a state of emergency is primarily intended to unlock procedures and facilitate the work of a peculiar investigation group composed of border guards, police, customs officers and financial services. The Lithuanian government besides asked the Sejm to grant additional powers to soldiers for 3 months: from giving instructions and checking papers to the anticipation of detaining people who would not comply with the orders.
