Balloons smuggling cigarettes closed Lithuania airport

Authorities, some of them carry illegal cigarettes of 25 small hot air balloon, Lithuania entered the airspace and delayed flights for hours to close the Vilnius airport, he said.

According to the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center, balloons intervened in 30 flights affecting approximately 6000 passengers.

Flights resumed on Sunday.

While the balloons turned out to be cigarette ferry, the interventions in the European countries NATO airspace last month after reaching an unprecedented scale high wake up.

Some European officials described the events by testing the reaction of Russia’s NATO military alliance.

The rest of Lithuania and Baltic is particularly concerned.

A drone, defined as Russian -made Gerbera on July 10, flew from Belarus to Lithuania and collapsed in Vilnius County.

Another collapsed in a military education on 28 July and was found a week later.

The army said it was later carrying a explosive device.

After these events, Parliament voted to allow the armed forces to hit the unmanned drone violating the airspace.

According to spokesman Darius Buta, two of the balloons flew over the Vilnius airport.

It reached Vilnius district more than two dozens.

Balloons were flying on Saturday at 8.45 and 4.30 on Sunday.

In his statement to the Associated Press, the border police saved 11 balloons and 18,000 packets of illegal cigarettes in various places.

Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is located 40 km west of the Russian ally Belarus border.

Belarus smugglers are increasingly using balloons that are much cheaper than drones to kidnap cigarettes to the European Union.

Similar events were reported only in August by less balloon.

Last year, 966 hot air ballons from Belarus were seized by Lithuanian officials.

544 this year recorded.

“Both smuggling balloons and drones are criminal activities, but not as provocations or sabotage actions.” He said.