Around 25 weather balloons violated the airspace above the Lithuanian capital's airport on Sunday night. Around 30 flights had to be cancelled, postponed or redirected, reports AFP.
Hours after the airport reopened, authorities announced that the balloons were filled with cigarettes. According to AFP, smugglers use weather balloons to transport Belarusian cigarettes which are then sold in the EU, where tobacco is more expensive.
The EU and the Baltic countries are on high alert due to the many drone violations in recent months. In July, two Russian drones that flew in from Belarus invaded Lithuania's airspace, one of them loaded with explosives.
This is not the first time cigarette balloons have flown in over Lithuania. Similar incidents have occurred several times, and since last year, Lithuanian border guards have the right to shoot down the balloons.
