Due to Belarus’s intensified hybrid attack, Lithuania urges the EU to take decisive measures
Minister of the Interior Vladislavas Kondratovičius has sent a letter to European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, urging immediate action in response to the recent intensification of hybrid attacks from Belarus, during which Lithuania’s airspace is being systematically violated.
“It is essential to take resolute measures to curb the hybrid attacks that threaten Lithuania’s air security. All of this represents yet another phase of the hybrid assault against Lithuania and the entire EU that has been ongoing since 2020,” the minister emphasizes in his letter.
This year, 599 smuggling balloons and 197 drone incursions into Lithuanian airspace have already been recorded. These attacks have disrupted 320 flights, affected 47,000 passengers, and caused nearly 60 hours of airport closures. In addition, the Belarusian regime has detained approximately 1,000 Lithuanian freight trucks on its territory and is imposing unlawful fees.
The minister called on Commissioner Brunner to support the preparation of a new sanctions package targeting Belarusian officials and institutions responsible for this hybrid operation. He also highlighted the need to create an EU response toolkit for addressing this security challenge.
The letter underscores that Lithuania is awaiting the European Commission’s legislative proposal on the revision of the Frontex mandate. According to the minister, it is essential to enable Frontex to more effectively assist Member States in managing hybrid-type threats and to equip the Agency with innovative tools suitable for an ever-evolving security environment.
“Lithuania remains determined to defend its own and the entire European Union’s security. I thank the Commission for the support provided so far and look forward to continued constructive cooperation,” the minister states in the letter.