ISTANBUL

Lithuania closed its two largest airports and sealed border crossings with Belarus on Friday after helium weather balloons entered its airspace for a third time this month.

The Vilnius and Kaunas airports were closed for safety until 2 am (2300GMT), while border crossings with Belarus will remain shut until midday Saturday, said authorities.

Lithuania said the balloons are used by smugglers to transport contraband cigarettes and it blamed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for failing to halt the practice.

“The national security commission will meet again next week to assess the influence of decisions already made and what else could be done in the short term to make it painful to the smugglers and to Lukashenko’s regime, which allows them to thrive,” Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said in a statement.

The national crisis management center reported “tens of balloons” were detected by radar Friday, with the Vilnius airport previously closed Tuesday and Oct. 5 when 25 balloons entered the airspace.