Lithuania faces chaos as white balloons from Belarus, carrying crates of cheap cigarettes, repeatedly disrupt its main airport. In the last 10 weeks, the airport shut down 15 times, delaying thousands of travellers, including one full 11-hour closure. The Lithuanian government says this goes beyond smuggling. They call it a “weaponised” hybrid attack by Belarus, an ally of Russia. Kestutis Budrys, Lithuania's Foreign Minister, told the BBC, "Of course it started as organised crime activity across the border, but we've seen more than once how Belarus instrumentalises organised crime to have an effect on neighbouring countries." The balloons usually launch when winds blow from Belarus and aim directly near the airport, only 30 km from the border. "If you want to make a smuggling operation to take a couple of thousand packs of cigarettes to the other side, you'd do it in the woods or the swamps, not directly at our airport!" Budrys said. Lithuania has declared an emergency. Military police patrol the border area at night to stop smugglers. Shooting down the balloons is unsafe and costly, so a €1m prize is offered for finding interception methods. Meanwhile, Lithuania uses military radar to track balloons and catch smugglers. New criminal laws may punish sabotage against civil aviation with prison terms. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko calls the balloon incidents "nonsense" and blames "bandit" smugglers for profit. But Lithuania suspects state involvement, noting similar hybrid attacks in 2021 when migrants were sent across the border. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, who runs Lithuania’s crisis management center, says, "If they were interested in stopping it they can do it tomorrow. But they don't. That means it benefits them." The purpose seems to be political pressure to ease sanctions and end Belarus’ international isolation. The EU and the US have sanctions on Belarus for its role in suppressing opposition and supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Lithuanian Minister Budrys demands tougher EU sanctions to cover Belarusian hybrid attacks. Travel disruption continues as airlines shift flights and revenue losses near €2m. Airport CEO Simonas Bartkus warns of lost trust in air travel. Passengers nervously check wind conditions daily. Local resident Justina calls it a hybrid attack, saying, "I think for them it's really funny to fly those balloons and then laugh at us, not dealing with it." Her partner Martynas adds, "They're basically testing the limits of Nato: looking how we protect against these kinds of things. And we can't even fight, like, simple balloons." This strange balloon battle shows how subtle tactics create real problems on Europe's eastern border.