00:00Lithuania's government has declared a state of emergency over security risks posed by smuggler
00:07balloons from Belarus that have violated its airspace in recent weeks. The balloons are used
00:13to smuggle cigarettes into Lithuania, but officials say they are deliberate acts of
00:17disruption orchestrated by Belarus. Tensions between Vilnius and Minsk have escalated after
00:23the balloons forced Lithuania to repeatedly close its main airport in the past weeks,
00:28leaving thousands of people stranded. Authorities also closed the Belarusian border for several
00:35weeks in late October due to the balloon prep. Announcing the state of emergency, the Lithuanian
00:42government cited national security interests and the threat to human life, property and the
00:47environment from the balloons. The government has asked Parliament to allow the military to work
00:52together with police, border guard and security officials during the state of emergency. It was
00:57not immediately clear how long the state of emergency would last.
