The Lithuanian government may declare an emergency due to the growing security threat posed by smuggler balloons launched from neighbouring Belarus, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic announced, BNS reports. He said that the government was assessing the impact on public safety and border security and was considering several options. Earlier, MEP Aurelijus Veryga, chairman of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS), said that declaring an emergency would “untie the hands of certain institutions.” Kondratovic noted that law enforcement authorities were already implementing some measures that would be used during an emergency situation. However, he insisted that there was no need to reclose the border with Belarus and asked for more time to disrupt cigarette smuggling networks, LRT reported. Meanwhile, opposition leaders and the mayor of Vilnius criticised the government for weakness in responding to the balloon incursions, ELTA and Lietuvos Rytas reported.
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