The European Union will respond to the introduction of sanctions against weather balloons carrying contraband from Belarus.
On 15 December, the EU Council announced a new criterion for including individuals, organizations, and structures in the sanctions list that benefit from actions or policies related to Belarus.
The new criteria will allow the EU to impose restrictions on those who plan, direct, or support the manipulation or interference of foreign information, as well as those who facilitate such actions. The criteria also apply to actions aimed at damaging or destroying critical infrastructure or large-scale disruptions of such infrastructure.
Today’s decision by the EU follows recent incidents of intrusions by meteorological probes into Lithuanian airspace.
Since January 1, 2025, repeated incursions of weather balloons carrying contraband from Belarus have been recorded in Lithuania. Each weather balloon carries up to 50 kg of payload and can fly at altitudes up to 8-15 km at speeds up to 100-200 km / h. Hundreds of these flights have been disrupted due to probes in Lithuania.
