The Lithuanian government announced on the 9th that, due to "balloons carrying contraband being released from Belarus into Lithuanian territory," and the continuous threat to national security, the entire country is under a state of emergency starting immediately.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė (Rugineinė) said, "In response to Belarusian hybrid attacks, we must take the strictest measures to protect the regions most affected by these attacks. All relevant agencies are working together to prevent threats brought by 'smuggling balloons.'"
Lithuanian Minister of the Interior, Agnė Bilotaitė (Kondratovicius), said: "After declaring (a national) state of emergency, we will be able to cooperate even more closely; soldiers will receive certain special privileges, allowing them to act more effectively together with Ministry of the Interior officials."
On the same day, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that Lithuania's accusations are untrue, "politicizing the issue," and trying to provoke conflict.
He said that Belarus is willing to establish normal relations with all countries in every field, and called on Lithuania to "come to the negotiating table to discuss issues."
According to the Baltic News Service, in recent months, cigarette smugglers from Belarus have released weather balloons that have interfered with the operations of Vilnius airport, the Lithuanian capital, more than a dozen times; the airport of the second-largest city, Kaunas, has also experienced similar disruptions.
Statistics released by Lithuanian government agencies show that so far this year, 599 "smuggling balloons" and 197 drones have entered Lithuanian airspace, causing 320 flight delays and nearly 60 hours of cumulative airport closures.