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Lithuania is preparing to declare a state-level emergency over the security threat posed by smugglers’ balloons entering the country from Belarus, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Friday.
“The government is preparing to declare an emergency situation due to the threat to civil protection,” Ignas Algirdas Dobrovolskas told BNS.
Under Lithuania’s crisis management law, the government may declare a state-level emergency when an incident meets established criteria in at least two municipalities, or when a municipal emergency lasts more than a year or requires resources from other municipalities. Such a regime can be applied nationwide or in specific regions.Despite the developing situation, Friday’s Cabinet agenda lists only budget matters and amendments to the Internal Service Statute regarding officers’ pay.
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said Wednesday that an emergency declaration was among the measures under consideration and that he planned to raise the issue with the National Crisis Management Centre.Aurelijus Veryga, a member of the European Parliament and chairman of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union – a party in the ruling coalition – said the move would activate stronger response mechanisms and give certain institutions greater flexibility.Ruginienė met Friday morning with leaders of parliamentary political groups to discuss ways to stop the balloon flights, which have increasingly affected civil aviation.Saulius Skvernelis, leader of the Democrats “For Lithuania” party, told Žinių Radijas that an emergency declaration “could be considered”, saying it would ease prevention efforts and enable tougher penalties.According to the Interior Ministry, 599 smugglers’ balloons and 197 drones have crossed into Lithuanian airspace this year, disrupting 320 flights, affecting 47,000 passengers and causing nearly 60 hours of airport closures.Weather balloons launched by cigarette smugglers in Belarus have disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport more than a dozen times in recent months and once at Kaunas Airport.