VILNIUS, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Lithuania’s Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Monday her country will begin to shoot down smuggler balloons crossing the border from Belarus, which have repeatedly interrupted the Baltic nation’s air traffic.
Lithuania closed Vilnius Airport four times last week after balloons entered its airspace, and each time temporarily shut its Belarus border crossings in response to the incidents.
Lithuania has said balloons are sent by smugglers transporting contraband cigarettes from Belarus into the EU, but it also blames Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for not stopping the practice.
There was no immediate comment from Belarus.
Ruginiene called the incidents “hybrid attacks” and said the Belarus border crossings will be closed except for travel by diplomats and by European Union citizens leaving the neighbouring country.
