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Authorities have decided to eliminate aerial devices transporting illicit goods from Belarus, the country's leader announced.

The measure comes after foreign objects crossing the border necessitated airport closures on several occasions recently, affecting holiday travel, accompanied by temporary closures of Belarus border crossings temporarily each time.

Border checkpoints will now be closed indefinitely following repeated balloon incursions.

According to official declarations, "authorities will not hesitate to employ the strictest possible measures when our airspace is violated."

Government Response

Announcing the actions at a press conference, the Prime Minister confirmed military forces were implementing "complete operational protocols" to shoot down balloons.

Regarding frontier restrictions, Ruginiene said diplomats will still be able to travel across the international border, while European Union nationals and Lithuanian residents retain entry rights, but no other movement will be allowed.

"In this way, we are sending a signal to the neighboring nation declaring that unconventional threats won't be accepted across our nation, employing comprehensive defensive actions to prevent similar incidents," government officials declared.

There has been no immediate response from Belarus.

International Consultation

Lithuania plans to consult its allies about the security challenges presented while potentially considering invocation of Nato's Article 4 - a protocol allowing member state consultation about national security issues, particularly involving territorial protection - officials noted.

Flight Cancellations

National air facilities experienced triple closures at the weekend due to weather balloons originating from neighboring territory, affecting 112 flights and more than 16,500 passengers, based on regional media reports.

In recent weeks, 25 balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, resulting in numerous canceled flights and passenger inconveniences, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre told the BBC.

This situation represents ongoing challenges: by autumn measurements, numerous unauthorized objects tracked entering airspace from Belarus this year, an NCMC spokesman said, with nearly thousand incidents during previous year.

International Perspective

International air travel hubs - such as Scandinavian and German locations - faced comparable aviation security challenges, including drone sightings, during current period.