Lithuania has reopened its border with Belarus after a temporary 12-hour closure caused by reports of balloon incursions into its airspace. The border checkpoints at Medininkai (known as Kamenny Log on the Belarusian side) and Šalčininkai (Benyakoni) resumed full operations at noon on Saturday, according to the State Border Guard Service (VSAT).
Traffic was suspended around 9:30 p.m. local time on Friday (1830 GMT) after radar systems detected several meteorological balloons drifting toward Lithuanian airspace.
The suspension affected the movement of vehicles and people at both major checkpoints, though VSAT confirmed that no significant incidents or unrest occurred among drivers waiting near the border during the shutdown.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center, said that radar detected between 80 and 90 balloon-like objects — a number two to three times fewer than a similar event earlier in the week.
VSAT Commander Rustamas Liubajevas disclosed that Lithuanian authorities had already intercepted four balloons carrying contraband cigarettes, prompting security concerns and heightened monitoring along the border.
Following the initial wave of balloon intrusions earlier in the week, Lithuania’s National Security Commission convened to assess the situation and evaluate appropriate response measures.
The resumption of border traffic marks a return to normalcy, though officials say they remain on alert for further airspace violations and smuggling activities linked to the balloon incidents.
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