VILNIUS, Lithuania — Flights at Lithuania’s main airport were disrupted for two consecutive nights in the latest in a series of incidents linked to alleged sightings of balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from neighboring Belarus. Authorities plan to discuss possible consequences on Monday.

Vilnius Airport said air traffic was suspended at 9:35 pm on Saturday and the airspace above the airport reopened at 3:30 on Sunday, resulting in four flight cancellations and seven diversions. On Friday night, a suspension of similar duration at Vilnius Airport and Kaunas Airport led to a total of 10 cancellations and four diverted flights.

That similar disturbance occurred early Wednesday morning and on other recent occasions. Lithuania’s two border crossings with Belarus, at Medininkai and Šalčininkai, were closed for several hours as a result of each of the balloon incidents before being reopened.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė has warned that Lithuania may have to consider closing its border with Belarus for a longer period. His government is also considering tougher penalties for smugglers.

Ruginienė called a meeting of Lithuania’s National Security Commission for Monday to consider possible measures. The government said clear warnings are being sent to Belarus that activities that disrupt strategic facilities such as airports will prompt a strict response.

The head of Lithuania’s border guard told public broadcaster LRT last week that since smuggled balloons were first sighted in 2023, there have been no known cases of them being used to transport anything other than illegal cigarettes.

Lithuania, a member of the European Union and NATO, is located on the edge of the Western alliance. eastern flank. It borders the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus, an ally of Russia.