Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov mocked Lithuania’s decision to close its border crossings with Belarus indefinitely, calling it a provocation. The move follows repeated alleged airspace violations by balloons allegedly used to smuggle cigarettes into Lithuania, which led to multiple disruption of flights at Vilnius and Kaunas airports. Lithuania views these balloon incursions as hybrid attacks by Belarus, citing Minsk’s failure to intervene as evidence of state involvement.