Lithuania Extends Border Closure with Belarus Until November 30

Photo: Delfi

The Lithuanian government has closed checkpoints on the border with Belarus until November 30, 2025 following a series of incidents involving smuggling balloons. The restrictions apply to all types of crossings, with limited exceptions, Delfi reports. An extension is possible.

Over recent days, Lithuania temporarily suspended traffic five times at two land checkpoints—Medininkai and Šalčininkai. Operations at Vilnius and Kaunas airports were also disrupted. The trigger was balloons carrying boxes of cigarettes wrapped in packing tape. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė noted that such incidents are being treated as hybrid attacks against the European Union. President Gitanas Nausėda proposed restricting transit to Kaliningrad and keeping the borders with Belarus closed for a longer period to ensure national security. On October 29, the Cabinet approved the suspension of checkpoint operations until midnight on November 30, 2025.



Traffic through the Šalčininkai checkpoint has been fully halted, while Medininkai will continue to operate in a limited mode. Only certain categories may cross the border in this area:

— diplomats and diplomatic pouch carriers;
— travelers transiting to or from the Kaliningrad region;
— citizens of Lithuania and EU member states;
— foreigners holding Lithuanian/EU residence permits or humanitarian visas;
— specific individuals upon request by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This is not the first restriction on the border. In August 2023, the Šumskas and Tverečius checkpoints were closed; in March 2024, Lavoriškės and Raigardas followed. Now the border is fully sealed. Lithuania’s Interior Ministry does not rule out extending control measures if balloon incidents or new threats persist. Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys called the situation “planned provocations” aimed at destabilizing the region and testing the alliance’s resolve.



The European Union expressed solidarity with Lithuania, urging Belarus “to immediately take effective measures to control its airspace, state border, and territory, as well as to combat organized criminal activity.” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that balloons are not merely a smuggling tool; they are “used as part of a broader, targeted hybrid campaign alongside other actions, including state-sponsored migrant smuggling.”

Belarus’s customs service decried the move as “ill-considered and unfriendly,” warning of damage to regional business. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called the closure part of a war the EU is waging against Belarus and China, and labeled the pretext absurd and trivial. He also emphasized that a similar recent decision by Poland ultimately harmed Warsaw itself.



Similar cases have occurred elsewhere in Europe, including Copenhagen, Munich, and the Baltic states. Lithuania also lodged a protest with Moscow after two Russian military aircraft violated its airspace. The border closure reflects broader regional tensions and a gradual shift from diplomatic contacts toward stricter security measures. The situation shows how local incidents quickly escalate into political conflicts and are perceived as instruments of pressure. Restrictions have become part of a wider escalation among states with opposing positions since February 2022.