WW3 fears erupt as NATO member set to declare ‘state of emergency’ | World | News
Lithuania is preparing to declare a state of emergency next week, the country’s prime minister announced on Friday. His comments came after Vilnius Airport was once again forced to close on Wednesday due to the presence of balloons in the airspace.
The travel hub, located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Belarus, has been closed more than 10 times since the beginning of October due to similar incidents. Lithuanian officials claim the balloons are part of a hybrid warfare campaign waged by neighbor Belarus on behalf of the Kremlin. The country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko, is a close ally of Vladimir Putin and has allowed Russian troops to be stationed on his territory.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said that the government will implement the emergency measure next week due to the threat posed by the balloon shower to civilian security.
“I’m listening to them [experts] opinion, but we will explain it [state of emergency] “We do not rule out the possibility of going further if the situation worsens.”
Lithuania captured more than 500 balloons launched from Belarus during the year. It was determined that the balloons contained GPS tracking devices as well as smuggled cigarettes.
Officials in Vilnius say that in the future, balloons could be equipped with spy cameras, incendiary devices and even explosives.
They also claim that the balloons help Russia map existing weak points on NATO’s eastern flank each time it crosses the border.
A former Deputy Foreign Minister has claimed Belarus has stepped up hybrid attacks and called on the EU to take tougher action against Lukashenko.
Darius Jurgelevičius told Poland’s TVP channel that the incidents were part of a deliberate effort to test Lithuania’s sovereignty and could spread to other NATO and EU countries if left unchecked.
He urged his government to resist talks with Minsk, press for tougher EU sanctions and avoid giving any sense of victory to Belarus or Russia in the ongoing hybrid conflict.
Lithuania strengthened its defenses along its land border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad in August, installing tank-stopping “dragon’s teeth” concrete blocks along the border.
