(MENAFN) European Union leaders have called for the swift deployment of a regional drone defense network following several incidents in which helium balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes from Belarus entered Lithuanian airspace.

According to reports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the repeated incursions as “destabilization” and a “hybrid threat,” warning that Europe would not tolerate such “provocations.” She emphasized, “This is yet another reason to accelerate our flagships -- the Eastern Flank Watch and the European Drone Defense Initiative.”

The EU’s drone defense system—an element of its Eastern Flank Watch project—relies on advanced radar, sensor, and counter-drone technologies to detect and neutralize unauthorized aerial vehicles along the bloc’s eastern borders.

European Council President Antonio Costa also condemned Belarus’s “persistent and provocative actions,” urging Minsk to halt further provocations. He stated, “The EU will continue to put pressure on the regime for its complicity in Russia's war against Ukraine and will support the protection of the EU's eastern border.”

Both leaders reaffirmed their backing for Lithuania, underlining the EU’s determination to defend its member states from ongoing security challenges.

Lithuania has responded to the recent airspace violations by temporarily shutting down airports and border checkpoints. Officials say the balloons are being used for smuggling and form part of broader “hybrid attacks” targeting the country.

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