As Lithuania and the entire European Union’s eastern flank continue to face hybrid attacks originating from Russia and Belarus, including dozens of smuggling balloons and GNSS interference, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Juras Taminskas emphasises the need for a coordinated European response to strengthen the resilience of the transport sector across the Union.

The Minister addressed these issues on Tuesday in the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism in Brussels.

“It is increasingly evident that, in our neighbourhood, we are facing an unpredictable regime which continues to disregard international rules – including those intended to safeguard passenger safety in civil aviation. We look forward to the European Commission’s initiatives for regions along the EU’s eastern border, and we expect greater attention to transport challenges, as well as additional funding and support measures for European businesses affected by these hybrid attacks,” said Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Juras Taminskas.

Addressing Members of the European Parliament, Mr Taminskas noted that balloons used for smuggling are being deliberately directed at Lithuania’s airports in an attempt to disrupt their operations. He also stated that Belarus has unlawfully seized and detained EU carriers and their assets on its territory.

The Minister also called for a legal framework that would strengthen the resilience of the overall transport system, enhance cooperation between different modes of transport and sectors, and ensure the necessary funding for these measures – in particular under the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework after 2028.

“Enhancing the resilience of the European Union’s transport sector and ensuring the continuity of transport services in the face of hybrid threats will be the foremost priority of Lithuania’s forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU. I invite all partners to engage in this work without delay, so that Europe’s transport sector is prepared to withstand similar challenges and can contribute both to the EU’s growth and to its defence,” Mr Taminskas said.

The Minister’s address to the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism was organised in close cooperation with the Committee’s Vice-Chair and Lithuanian Member of the European Parliament, Virginijus Sinkevičius.

The need for a coordinated EU response to the Belarusian regime’s illegal actions and other hybrid attacks is regularly discussed in the Council’s transport, home affairs and foreign affairs meetings. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is closely monitoring the situation, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has decided to open a criminal investigation.

In the second half of 2025, smuggling balloons drifting over the Belarusian border repeatedly disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport and once at Kaunas Airport. In total, over 350 flights and approximately 51,000 passengers were affected.

Late on Tuesday evening, due to another hybrid attack by Belarus, operations at Vilnius Airport were again restricted, affecting several hundred passengers.The disruption also affected Minister Taminskas, who was due to return to Lithuania from Brussels.

Last year, Mr Taminskas raised this issue with ICAO and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE).

Pranešimą paskelbė: Žydrūnė Tursaitė, LR Susisiekimo ministerija