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NATO member Lithuania closed its capital airport late on Saturday and shut both crossings on the border with Belarus after helium weather balloons drifted into the Baltic country's territory for a second consecutive day. Traffic at Vilnius Airport was suspended until 2 am local time while the Belarus border will remain shut until the same time, Lithuanian officials said. European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings and other air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen, Munich and the Baltic region. The Vilnius airport also closed on Tuesday and Friday of this week and on October 5, each time due to balloons entering the capital's airspace, authorities have said. Lithuania has said balloons are sent by smugglers transporting contraband cigarettes, but it also blames Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for not stopping the practice. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene on Friday said the country's National Security Commission will meet next week to assess the situation. The airport closure comes after NATO jets were scrambled on Thursday after two Russian military planes were briefly spotted in Lithuanian airspace. The aircraft, an Su-fighter and Il-78 refuelling tanker, were in the airspace for 18 seconds, with Spanish jets from NATO's Baltic division scrambled in response, according to the Lithuanian military. The Russian planes were possibly conducting a refuelling exercise over the city of Kaliningrad before they flew 700 metres into Lithuanian territory, according to local media. The country's Ministry of National Defence said in a statement: 'Our forces acted quickly with NATO jets on patrol. 'Lithuania remains strong and ready. Every inch of our country is protected.' President Gitanas Nausėda condemned the incident, stating: 'This is a cruel violation of international law and the territorial sovereignty of Lithuania, and we have to react to this.' Earlier this month, the Lithuanian government told its citizens to start preparing bomb shelters as fears grow that the Baltic nation could be dragged into war with Russia. The country, which borders Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad enclave, has been urging its residents to prepare for more than a year. Its location is seen as a potential danger, given that Belarus is a close ally of Putin, and both countries conduct joint Zapad military drills. This year, the government said: 'There are currently 6,453 bomb shelters in Lithuania that can accommodate approximately 1.5 million people, or about 54 percent of the country's population.' In the country's capital, Vilnius, the basements of many buildings have been turned into shelters. 'People wanted to feel safe, to know that they could protect themselves in the event of bombing and war, for at least a few days,' said Vidas Magnavicius, a building manager. 'We agreed that we had to prepare for the worst.' The warnings come as Vladimir Putin threatens swift retaliation against Europe, insisting Moscow will respond if provoked.
