Belarusian Weather Balloons Force Extended Closure of Lithuanian Airport

Lithuania has accused Belarus of a deliberate act of disruption after multiple weather balloons targeted the main airport in Vilnius. The incident forced an 11-hour shutdown of the country's primary air hub on Saturday. Authorities diverted flights and closed all runways at Vilnius Airport for most of the day. They cited an "unidentified object," later confirmed to be a group of Belarusian meteorological balloons, drifting into the controlled airspace. Lithuanian officials stated the balloons appeared to be intentionally directed toward the airport's runways. They described the event as a coordinated provocation from Belarus, a neighboring ally of Russia. The extended closure caused significant travel disruption. Multiple passenger flights were canceled or rerouted to other airports in the region. Belarus has not yet publicly commented on the Lithuanian allegations. The incident marks a further escalation in regional tensions.