Vilnius: balloons and airport disruptions

What happened

On the night of Sunday 23 to Monday 24 November Vilnius Airport halted traffic twice because of smugglers' balloons from Belarus: from 18:55 to 00:25 and from 01:40 to 03:25. NKVC head Vilmantas Vitkauskas called it the most intense night in November: balloon launches from Belarus began at about 17:00 and lasted until about 02:00, more than 40 balloons with smuggling characteristics were recorded and six had been found by morning; Latvian radars also detected about 30 balloons. According to LRT, over the whole night 18 flights were cancelled and 10 diverted (7 to Kaunas, 1 to Warsaw, 2 to Riga); more than 1,300 passengers were bused from Kaunas to Vilnius. The flight figures cover both stoppages together. Who launched the balloons has not been established.

Responsibility and limits of the evidence

not assessed

Nobody has yet assessed responsibility for this record. Not assessed is not the same as not established.

Impact

killed

not established

injured

not established

damage

not established

No casualties reported.

pending editorial review

Source discrepancy

The 18 cancelled and 10 diverted flights and 1,300 passengers are totals for the whole night, covering both stoppages. They are recorded on the first stoppage so as not to count them twice.

Sources

1. NKVC: pastaroji naktis - intensyviausia per lapkritį, balionai fiksuoti ir Latvijoje

   LRT / 2025-11-24 / secondary source

   supports: the record, the disruption, that it happened, the date, the impact

2. Vilnius Airport operations suspended twice over smugglers' balloon threat

   LRT English / BNS / 2025-11-24 / secondary source

   supports: the record, the disruption, that it happened, the date