Brussels – The incursions into the airspace of the European Union are back. This time, the hybrid attacks hit Lithuanian skies, which have been violated for three days by Belarusian balloons. These undesirable events forced the Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė to close the nearly 700-kilometre border with Belarus today, 27 October. “We are sending a signal to Belarus: no hybrid attacks will be tolerated and we are taking the strictest measures to stop them,” Ruginienė said, also suggesting a possible appeal to NATO’s Article 4, the one concerning consultations between member states.
Closed borders
The incursions had been constant over the past week, disrupting operations at several airports. Authorities had been forced to close the airspace more than four times in the previous week, causing inconvenience to more than 30,000 passengers, according to Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.
In addition to airspace, Lithuania also wanted to send a stronger signal by sealing its border crossings. In a note on X, Prime Minister Ruginienė justified the decision as follows: “The autocrats are once again testing the resilience of the EU and NATO against hybrid threats. Our response will determine how far the autocrats will dare to go.”
The temporary border closure began in the morning, but there is already talk of making the decision final, with government approval expected on Wednesday. The measure would pose a significant problem for Minsk, which already has to deal with the indefinite blockade of traffic with neighbouring Poland. The Belarusian authorities, in any case, deny any involvement and call the Lithuanian decision “a provocation aimed at justifying anti-Belarusian policies and extending sanctions”, as reported in a note released by the Russian news agency Tass.
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⚡️BREAKING: Lithuania’s PM I. Ruginienė just announced that the border with Belarus will stay closed, and any balloons violating Lithuanian airspace will be shot down! pic.twitter.com/QLlew9nHfV
– Auraja ‡ (@Twee_Papillon) October 27, 2025
Smuggling balloons
The episode is also relevant for the methods used. The means used by the Belarusians to enter the Lithuanian skies were not drones, as in the serious September episodes, but balloons. Smugglers have traditionally used these aircraft to move goods between the two border crossings. Under this cover, the Belarusians allegedly attempted to disguise the hybrid attack. However, this hypothesis did not convince the Lithuanians. “It is becoming increasingly clear that this is not ordinary smuggling. Smuggling is being used as a cover for what is actually a psychological hybrid operation,” declared, before the border closure, Deividas Matulionis, Lithuania’s chief national security adviser.
The Belarusians’ choice of balloons is also explained by their technical characteristics. These aircraft are very effective due to their ability to fly at low altitude but at high speed, around 100-200 kilometres per hour. “Shooting them down with firearms is a mission impossible: they fly too low,” Matulionis added, highlighting the vulnerability of EU airspace.
The Lukashenka regime continues its hybrid war against — last night, more “weather balloons” crossed into Lithuania.
We support ’s firm response, while calling to keep the borders open for honest Belarusians.
Only a free, democratic Belarus can end these threats to Europe. pic.twitter.com/kwCJGLqvYj
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) October 27, 2025
The Union’s comment
The attacks suffered by the small Baltic country had an international echo. The first to be called into question was the European Union. During the midday press conference, European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen reminded that “the closure of airspace is a prerogative of member states. We are aware of the incident and remain in contact with Lithuania.” The incident could be another reason to accelerate the construction of the “anti-drone wall” that the EU is developing in coordination with NATO.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
