Balloons carrying thousands of packs of cigarettes have disrupted flights in Lithuania, as Vilnius Airport was forced to close for hours when dozens of them floated into the country's airspace.
The National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) told the BBC that 25 meteorological balloons were detected entering Lithuania from neighbouring Belarus, two of which ended up directly over the airport.
The airport said the shutdown led to 30 flight cancellations affecting 6,000 passengers. It warned that there may still be delays on Monday.
This airspace violation comes at a time of heightened tension in Europe after a number of drone incursions, suspected of being linked to Russia, caused air traffic disruption.
Moscow has denied any involvement in the recent incidents.
Up to 14 of the weather balloons launched over the weekend floated over the Vilnius area, home to Lithuania's capital and close to the border with Belarus, Lithuanian officials said.
At least 11 balloons carrying 18,000 packs of black-market cigarettes have since been recovered, though this number could rise, Lithuania's State Border Guard Service said.
Despite the disruption they caused, a NCMC spokesman said: Balloons with contraband cargo - cigarettes from Belarus - are nothing new in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland.
So far this year, 544 balloons have been recorded entering Lithuania from Belarus, while 966 were tracked last year.
Meanwhile, the north-eastern Podlaskie region of Poland, which also borders Belarus, has recorded over 100 instances of contraband flown in from its neighbour using balloons, typically associated with weather instruments.
In a related incident last month, Polish police detained a Belarusian who had been transporting cigarettes smuggled in using a balloon, with a geolocation tag found on his phone linked to the illicit goods.
When questioned about the use of balloons over drones, the NCMC remarked: Meteorological balloons are a rudimentary tool used by smugglers - they are cheaper than drones for transporting cigarettes from Belarus.
The agency emphasizes its commitment to seizing contraband and detaining offenders to deter future grey-market activities.
Similar drone-related incidents have caused airport closures in Denmark and disturbances in Norway and Germany, leading European leaders to discuss enhanced air defense strategies.
Despite accusations of orchestrating these incursions, Russia either denies involvement or attributes them to accidents amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
