Lithuania Intercepts 8 Smuggler Balloons from Belarus

On the night of November 11, Lithuanian border guards intercepted eight balloons launched from the territory of Belarus.

One of them was found at the Rudninkai training ground in the Šalčininkai district, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) reported.

The cargo contained 1,500 packs of cigarettes attached to a standard triangular frame.

In total, the balloons carried more than 13,000 packs of contraband cigarettes.

Two cases were recorded in the Šalčininkai district, and six in the Varena district.

Seven batches were intercepted by intelligence, and another by the police.

Each balloon had a GPS transmitter to track the cargo. A pre-trial investigation was launched.

The same night, border guards shot down a homemade drone from Belarus. Its cargo has not yet been found.

Due to the flights of unknown objects, three flights to Vilnius were redirected to Kaunas and Riga.

Lithuania calls these actions an element of the Lukashenko regime’s hybrid attack. The EU and NATO supported Vilnius.

Lukashenko recently denied Belarus’ responsibility for the weather balloon attack on Lithuania.

In early November, there was a similar incident involving balloons allegedly carrying contraband across the Belarusian-Lithuanian border.