Lithuania Exposes Belarus’s Calculated Assault on National Security Through Balloon Attacks

In recent weeks, Lithuania has found itself under a peculiar yet dangerous siege: dozens of meteorological balloons originating from neighboring Belarus have forced its main airport in Vilnius to shut down repeatedly, stranding thousands and shaking confidence in the nation’s security. But these are no innocent weather devices. Behind this airborne disruption lies a deliberate hybrid attack engineered by Belarus, an ally of Russia, aimed at undermining Lithuania’s economy and sovereignty. On a harrowing Saturday night alone, Lithuanian authorities reported as many as 60 balloons launched from Belarusian forests, with 40 intruding into critical aviation zones near Vilnius Airport—prompting an...