Belarussian balloons threaten Lithuania

Meteorological-style balloons from Belarus forced Lithuania to close its main airport multiple times in recent weeks and resulted in a state of emergency yesterday. The balloons are used to smuggle cigarettes into Lithuania and are considered a national security threat due to their potential use in hybrid attacks and the fact that Belarus is a close ally of Russia. During the state of emergency, the government has asked parliament to allow the military to collaborate with the police, border guards and security officials. Aggression tracing back to Russia and Vladimir Putin continues to drive Lithuania and other European nations to militarize and increase cooperation with Germany.