Lithuania’s government on Tuesday declared a state of emergency over smuggler balloons originating in Belarus that have disrupted aviation,and asked parliament to allow the military to operate alongside police and border guards.
Vilnius airport has beenclosed repeatedlydue to the weather balloons, which Lithuania says are sent by smugglers transporting cigarettes and constitute a “hybrid attack” by Belarus, a close ally of Russia.
“The state of emergency is announced not only
