Lithuania closes part of the airspace on the border with Belarus

Lithuania has closed its airspace along part of the border with Belarus amid incidents of drone infiltration and the approach of the Russian-Belarusian West 2025 exercise. This was reported by the Ministry of National Defense of the country, reports LRT.

This decision was made by the Ministry of Transport and Communications after a request from the Commander-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

"This was done taking into account the security situation and threats to society, including risks to civil aviation arising from violations of airspace by UAVs, as well as the need to create conditions for the performance of military tasks in response to such and similar airspace violations," the ministry said in a commentary.

According to the Lithuanian Transport Competence Agency, flights in restricted areas are possible only after permission from the country's army commander-in-chief. The flight ban will remain in effect until October 1, and military exercises between Russia and Belarus are scheduled for September 12-15.

"An extension may be requested if the threat of unmanned aerial vehicles intruding into Lithuanian airspace does not diminish," the statement said .

The total length of Lithuania's border with Belarus is 679 km. It is not specified which part of the airspace is closed. However, it is known that it has been partially closed since August 13.

• on February 5, President Zelenskyy said that in 2025, Russian dictator Putin would deploy his troops in Belarus. to draw Poland and the Baltic states into a war.
• On April 4, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said that NATO is ready to respond to the Russia-Belarus military exercise. Zapad 2025, if the need arises.
• Drones from Belarus regularly fly to Lithuania. on July 10, a Gerbera crashed on the country's territory. Six days later, local border guards shot down another UAV that came from Belarus and, was probably not a military one .
• on August 5, Germany sent five Eurofighter jets to Poland ahead of the joint Russia-Belarus Zapad 2025 military exercises.
• On August 20, it was reported that Lithuania is stepping up border security. ahead of Russia-Belarus exercises in September.