Vilnius airport was closed for a few hours tonight, and still undergoes inconvenience, for the entry of a series of aerostatic balls from Belarusia, which according to the Lithuanian authorities would have transported smuggling cigarettes. The suspension of air traffic took place shortly after 10 pm on Saturday evening, after the radar detected several flying objects directed to the airport and for safety reasons it was decided to block all the takeoffs and landing until 4:50 in the morning.
According to the Lithuanian crisis management center, 25 balls were identified in the border area, two of which directly above the capital’s airport, report various local media. Seven were recovered and transported about 12,000 cigarette packages.
The closure caused the cancellation or hijacking of about 30 flights, with inconvenience for almost 6,000 passengers, estimated Vilnius airport. Some direct planes in the airport were landed in Latvia and Poland, while others, like a flight coming from Copenhagen, returned to the departure airport.
Lithuania, NATO member, said a 90 kilometer-zone zone in August along the border with Belarus to combat drones and balls entry. The capital Vilnius is about 30 kilometers from the border.