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Lithuania to Take Belarus to International Court Over Smuggler Balloons Violating Airspace
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The Prime Minister of Lithuania said the country will seek action through international judicial institutions in response to Belarus’ ongoing use of smuggler balloons, which continue to drift into Lithuanian territory.
According to LRT on November 27, Inga Ruginienė explained that several ministries are now collecting evidence and evaluating the possibility of filing a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the risks and damage caused by these balloon flights. Over recent months, Vilnius Airport has been forced to shut down multiple times because of them.
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“We reached a shared agreement that the Ministries of Justice, Transport, and Foreign Affairs will work on collecting data and assessing the possibility of applying to the ICJ over the damage and threats posed to civil aviation,” Ruginienė said following the meeting of the National Security Commission.
According to her, the process is already underway: “The Ministry of Transport and Communications has contacted the International Civil Aviation Organization. These actions will be just added, and data will be collected so that we have a judicial process.”
Asked what impact an ICJ case could have if Russia and Belarus continue to disregard international norms, the Prime Minister insisted that pursuing such legal steps remains necessary and consistent with Lithuania’s values.
“Everything has meaning, look at what Ukraine is doing. Ukraine collects evidence every day. We are a country that recognizes international law, for which reputation is very important. And we take certain actions as a normal democratic state,” she emphasized.
Ruginienė added that Lithuania must continue to act in line with democratic principles, expressing hope that the situation could eventually change and that aggressor states ignoring international law might one day reconsider their stance. She stressed that Lithuania cannot give up.
Earlier, Lithuanian officials said that November has seen the “most intense” wave of airborne balloons launched from Belarus to date.
On November 24, Vilnius Airport was forced to halt operations twice because balloons carrying contraband entered its airspace. According to the National Crisis Management Center, more than 40 weather balloons were detected.
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