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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Jon Henley Europe correspondent

Lithuania says it will shoot down smuggling balloons from Russia’s ally Belarus

Belarus Lithuania NATO Inga Ruginienė Vilnius European Union Russia
A night shot, lit by a spotlight, of man in a field looking at a weather balloon with a cargo bale attached
An undated photo of a Lithuanian border official inspecting a balloon used to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus. Photograph: AP

Lithuania’s prime minister has authorised the shooting down of smuggling balloons that cross the border from Russia’s ally Belarus, calling them “hybrid attacks” in an echo of the term used to describe Moscow’s destabilisation efforts.

Incursions by balloons carrying contraband cigarettes prompted the Nato and EU member state to close Vilnius airport four times last week and shut its border crossings with Belarus temporarily.

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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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