Balloons carrying thousands of packs of cigarettes have disrupted flights in Lithuania, as Vilnius Airport was forced to close for hours when dozens of them floated into the country's airspace.

The National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) reported that 25 meteorological balloons were detected entering Lithuania from neighbouring Belarus, with two landing directly over the airport.

This airport shutdown led to 30 flight cancellations that impacted around 6,000 passengers, with warnings of potential delays continuing into Monday.

The “airspace violations” occur against a backdrop of increased tension in Europe, particularly following recent drone incursions thought to be linked to Russia that had already caused traffic disruptions.

Moscow has denied any involvement in these incidents.

During the weekend, up to 14 weather balloons had floated over the Vilnius area, which is close to the Belarus border. At least 11 balloons carrying 18,000 packs of black-market cigarettes have been recovered, with the number possibly rising, as stated by Lithuania's State Border Guard Service.

Despite the disruption, a NCMC spokesman indicated that contraband balloons are not a new phenomenon within Lithuania and its neighbouring countries. This year alone, 544 balloons have entered Lithuania from Belarus – a rise from 966 recorded in the previous year.

Similarly, the Podlaskie region of Poland, which shares a border with Belarus, noted over 100 such smuggling cases utilizing balloons that are typically meant for weather observations.

In one notable case last month, Polish authorities detained a Belarusian citizen who was suspected of using balloons to transport smuggled cigarettes; this individual was reportedly linked to the goods through a geolocation tag found on his phone.

When questioned about the choice of balloons – an approach susceptible to weather variations – over more controlled drones, NCMC officials commented that meteorological balloons are a simpler, cost-effective solution used by smugglers.

They added that the goal remains to seize large quantities of contraband and apprehend those involved to diminish the profitability and risks associated with such activities to civil aviation.

Recent months have seen heightened military tension in the region, with discussions among European leaders accelerating concerning enhancing air defenses in light of prior drone-related incidents, including the closure of Danish airports.

Denmark has stated there is no definitive evidence linking these drones to Russian operations, despite ongoing tensions stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.