Lithuania on Tuesday declared a state of emergency due to threats to public safety from smuggled balloons originating in Belarus, the government said.
Vilnius Airport in Lithuania suspended operations again on Wednesday after suspected balloons were spotted in its airspace, marking the latest in a series of similar incidents near the Belarus border.
Lithuania’s Vilnius airport temporarily halted operations due to suspected balloons in its airspace, the airport said on Sunday, marking the latest in a series of flight disruptions in the Baltic nation.
A passenger aircraft from Polish carrier LOT veered off a taxiway at Lithuania's Vilnius airport after arriving from Warsaw on Wednesday, halting all traffic, the airport operator said.
Vilnius airport briefly halted night-time operations after balloons drifted towards its airspace late on Sunday, forcing several flights to divert. The airport announced on its website that it planned to reopen at 01.30 am local time.
Lithuania’s Vilnius airport was temporarily closed on Thursday after smugglers’ balloons appeared on radar, the National Crisis Management Centre said.
Lithuania will keep its border crossings with Belarus closed for a month after balloons carrying cigarettes repeatedly disrupted air traffic at Vilnius Airport. Some exemptions will apply.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday voiced strong support for Lithuania, condemning the repeated incursions of helium-filled smuggling balloons from Belarus as a deliberate provocation.
NATO member Lithuania has closed its two largest airports and shut border crossings with Belarus after helium weather balloons entered its airspace, marking the third such incident this month. European aviation has been disrupted recently by drone sightings and other air incursions
Poland has banned pro-Russian Moldovan politician Irina Vlah from its territory for five years, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, accusing her of helping Moscow interfere in Moldova's parliamentary elections.
Türkiye has deployed an airborne warning and control aircraft to Lithuania this week as part of NATO security measures, after a series of Russian drone and jet incursions into allied airspace.
Lithuania’s parliament on Thursday approved the government programme put forward by Social Democrat Inga Ruginienė, confirming her as the Baltic nation’s new prime minister.
A Spanish military jet with Defence Minister Margarita Robles onboard experienced a GPS disturbance early on Wednesday as it flew near Russia's Kaliningrad exclave on its way to Lithuania, the ministry said, without providing further details.
Lithuania is teaching children how to operate drones along its border with Russia, part of efforts to bolster awareness and skills on the NATO 'Eastern flank'.
The Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday approved a new prime minister, marking a key step in the formation of the country’s ruling coalition.
Lithuania has called on NATO to bolster its air defences following Russian drones from Belarus violating its airspace, one of which allegedly carried explosives, according to authorities. Vilnius says defending NATO’s eastern flank should be a shared responsibility.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to NATO as he hosted defense ministers from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, praising their strong defense spending and united stance on Ukraine.
Belarus has temporarily shut down one of its two nuclear power units due to a cooling system alert, but authorities insist there is no safety threat.
Finland and Lithuania are set to begin domestic production of anti-personnel landmines next year after announcing plans to quit the Ottawa Convention, citing the threat from Russia.
Poland will temporarily restore border checks with Germany and Lithuania starting 7 July, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Tuesday, citing the need to reduce irregular migration across its borders.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 28th June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Lithuania has formally notified the United Nations of its decision to withdraw from the international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, citing security concerns over Russia.
Leaders from the Bucharest Nine, the Baltic states, and the five Nordic countries are gathering in Vilnius today to coordinate a unified stance ahead of NATO’s June 24–25 summit in The Hague.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
