Lithuania issues a strong protest to Belarus
On 28 January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania summoned the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus and handed him a diplomatic note, expressing a strong protest to Belarus over the violations of Lithuanian airspace from 27 to 28 January 2026 originating from the territory of Belarus and using smuggler balloons, which posed a threat to the security of civil aviation and led to three suspensions of the operations of Vilnius International Airport, as well as affected 5 civil aviation flights and disrupted the travel of 700 passengers.
It was noted that these repeated violations of the Lithuanian airspace by the Belarusian side are considered grave breaches of international law, threatening the security of Lithuania, as well as the security of civil aviation.
The representative of the Embassy of Belarus in Lithuania was urged to ensure that Belarus immediately prevents such violations and fulfills its international obligations to ensure the control of the country's airspace and state border. It was emphasized that if such incidents continue to occur, Lithuania reserves the right to reinstate border traffic restrictions or apply other measures in order to protect its airspace, ensure the security of civil aviation, and address threats to national security.
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