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Vilnius Airport Suspends Operations Amid Belarus Balloon Threat

1/27/2026

Summary

Story summary

Vilnius Airport suspended operations on January 27 due to suspected airspace disruption from balloons launched from Belarus, closing at 1705 GMT and set to reopen at 1805 GMT, per the National Crisis Management Centre.
This marks the airport's tenth closure since early October over similar incidents.
Lithuania accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of facilitating this hybrid attack, saying smugglers use balloons to transport cigarettes.

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Story summary

Vilnius Airport suspended operations on January 27 due to suspected airspace disruption from balloons launched from Belarus, closing at 1705 GMT and set to reopen at 1805 GMT, per the National Crisis Management Centre.
This marks the airport's tenth closure since early October over similar incidents.
Lithuania accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of facilitating this hybrid attack, saying smugglers use balloons to transport cigarettes.