On the night of October 5, 2025, 25 meteorological balloons crossed into Lithuania from neighboring Belarus, raising concerns among local authorities and security services, according to Darius Buta, a member of Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre. Such devices, designed to collect atmospheric data, are often used by smugglers to illegally transport goods, particularly cigarettes, across the border. The incident occurred amid tightened controls on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border and recent airspace violations, including the temporary closure of Vilnius Airport due to suspicious balloons.

According to Lithuanian border guards, the probes were detected by radar southeast of Vilnius, near Baltoji Vokė, and were moving toward the capital. This prompted the activation of precautionary measures: airspace over Čiurlionis International Airport was suspended, forcing several commercial flights to be diverted to alternative airports such as Kaunas or Riga. The airport operator confirmed that the decision to close was made due to the approach of suspicious objects, possibly related to smuggling. Flights resumed within a few hours, but an investigation is ongoing to determine the exact nature of the probes and their cargo.

Weather balloons are relatively simple aerial devices that rise at high altitudes and drift with the wind, evading detection by traditional systems. In recent years, they have become a popular tool for smuggling tobacco products from Belarus, where cigarette prices are significantly lower due to tax differences.