Lithuania on Tuesday declared a state of emergency due to threats to public safety from smuggled balloons originating in Belarus, the government said.
Lithuania accuses Belarus of allowing smugglers to use weather balloons to transport contraband cigarettes across the border, repeatedly forcing Vilnius airport to halt operations, disrupting air traffic.
"The state of emergency is announced not only due to civil aviation disruptions but also due to interests of national security," Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic told a government meeting that was streamed live.
The declaration grants increased operational freedom to the military, allowing it to act in coordination with police or independently, Kondratovic added, though he did not specify further details.
The duration of the emergency measures was not immediately clear.
Belarus, which allowed its territory to be used for Russia's invasion in 2022 of Ukraine, has denied responsibility for the balloons and accused Lithuania of provocations, including allegedly sending a drone to drop "extremist material".
Lithuania, a NATO and European Union member which was once part of the Soviet Union, has rejected those accusations as false.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on December 1 that the situation at the border was "worsening" and called the balloon incursions a "hybrid attack" by Belarus that was "completely unacceptable."
Lithuania in 2021 imposed a state of emergency in the Belarus border region over what it said was illegal migration into the Baltic nation, restricting access to the area for non-residents.
The following year Vilnius announced a state of emergency following Russia's invasion of Ukraine over fears that Lithuania could also become a target, imposing restrictions on free speech to curb what it said was potential Russian propaganda.
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Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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