The government in Vilnius is to draw up a plan to keep the border closed, Ruginiene says at a press conference. Only diplomats and EU citizens leaving Belarus will be allowed to pass, writes The Guardian.
We are sending Belarus the signal that we do not tolerate any hybrid attacks, says the Prime Minister.
The announcement comes after balloons from Belarus repeatedly violated Lithuania's airspace and, among other things, forced the airport in Vilnius to close. Some of the balloons are said to have weighed up to 50-60 kilograms. From now on, the balloons will be shot down, Ruginiene announces.
According to assessors, smugglers use weather balloons to transport Belarusian cigarettes, which are then sold in the EU, where tobacco is more expensive. But Lithuania has also directed accusations against Russia, which they believe is behind the "psychological hybrid operations".
Lithuania does not rule out invoking NATO's Article 4 as a result of the balloons, according to the Prime Minister. Article 4 states that the defense alliance's members must consult urgently when a member country feels threatened.
