A night of upset in the airport of Vilnius in Lithuania: Balloons coming from Belarus caused a total interruption of flights from 22:15 on Saturday night (04.10.2025) to 04:40 on Sunday morning, said Darius Bouta, a spokesman for the National Crisis Management Center (AFP).
In total, about 30 flights were delayed, canceled or had to land elsewhere, as two of the balloons approached Vilnius Airport in Lithuania. As it became known, the balloons came from Belarus and were loaded with… smuggled cigarettes.
Balloons for smuggling
According to authorities, eleven balloons containing packages of cigarettes were found on Sunday morning. These improvised media, which are often meteorological balloons, are used by criminal networks to carry Belarusian cigarettes to the European Union, where tobacco prices are much higher.
Lithuania has been facing this phenomenon for years. In 2024 the border guards recorded 966 such balloons, and 544 have been identified since the beginning of 2025, according to official data. Since last year, security forces have the right to reject them when they enter the country’s airspace.
An accounting threat, not military
The Lithuanian authorities have clarified that it is not a sabotage or political challenge, but a criminal activity.
“The use of unmanned aircraft or meteorological airbags by smuggling is a criminal act, not espionage,” said a spokesman for the National Crisis Management Center.