Lithuanian authorities briefly closed the airspace over Vilnius on Thursday night after balloons had been detected flying towards the airport close to the capital.
The airspace was shut for roughly two and a half hours from 8:10 p.m. to 10:43 p.m. native time, Vilnius airport introduced in a social media publish.
In accordance with regional media, it marked the sixth time this month that air visitors has needed to be halted within the nation. At the very least two flights headed to Vilnius had been pressured to return to their departure airports on Thursday night.
Belarus has repeatedly launched such balloons, ostensibly to smuggle cigarettes throughout its border with Lithuania. The stunts have drawn worldwide outrage and triggered Lithuania to shut its border with its unruly jap neighbor for a month till Nov. 30.
Each European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa condemned Belarus’ actions on Monday night time, calling them a “hybrid risk.”
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė mentioned Oct. 27 that her nation intends to completely shut its border with Belarus and shoot down any balloons coming into Lithuanian airspace.
Belarusian chief Alexander Lukashenko subsequently known as Lithuania’s resolution to shut the border “absurd” and “a loopy gamble.”