Lithuania declares state of emergency over smuggler balloons from Belarus

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By News AgenciesDecember 9, 2025 at 02:00 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

Lithuania declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, due to an influx of meteorological balloons launched from Belarus. Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene cited the need for strict measures to combat what Lithuania views as a Belarusian "hybrid attack." While the balloons have been used for cigarette smuggling, authorities now suspect the Belarusian security services are operating them. The emergency declaration allows the military to assist police and border guards in patrols, and an investigation has been launched to determine the Belarusian state's involvement. This action comes amid broader European concerns that Russia, a close ally of Belarus, is using hybrid warfare tactics to test NATO defenses.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Inga Ruginiene 40% NATO 50% Minsk ×260% Belarus ×570% Lithuania ×680%

Keywords

smuggler balloons 90% lithuania 90% belarus 80% state of emergency 80% hybrid warfare 70% border security 60% nato defences 60% russia 50% espionage 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Lithuania

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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smuggler balloons lithuania belarus state of emergency hybrid warfare border security nato defences russia espionage

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