(MENAFN) Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene has threatened to shut the country’s border with Belarus following reports of balloons carrying contraband cigarettes crossing into Lithuanian territory, according to local media.

“If such balloons cross our border en masse again, we will react immediately and close the border with Belarus,” Ruginiene told journalists on Wednesday. She also expressed doubt that Vilnius could “sit down with this neighbor and reach an agreement on anything.”

Ruginiene emphasized that there is no indication this activity is a coordinated effort by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, noting that the issue concerns smuggling rather than official state actions.

Reports indicate that dozens of such contraband-filled balloons entered Lithuania overnight on Tuesday, causing disruptions to flights to and from Vilnius airport. Belarusian border authorities stated that Lithuania unilaterally halted border crossings for about six hours early Wednesday.

The head of the Lithuanian National Road Carriers’ Association (LINAVA), Narunas Raulinaitis, questioned the proportionality of the move, arguing that “an air incident should not become a pretext for paralyzing road transport,” particularly as transport workers already face long waits and difficult conditions at the border.

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