VILNIUS, October 22. /TASS/. Lithuania has lodged a protest with Belarus over the violation of its airspace by weather balloons used to smuggle tobacco products from the neighboring country, the Foreign Ministry reported.

"The charge d'affaires of Belarus was summoned to the ministry and handed a note of strong protest against the repeated and increasing violations of airspace from the neighboring country," the statement said.

The ministry noted that such actions grossly violate international law. Vilnius called on Minsk to ensure control over its airspace and warned that in case of a repeat of such incidents, Lithuania reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures.

On Wednesday night, Lithuanian servicemen recorded about 200 weather balloons in the country’s airspace, which are used by organizers of cigarette smuggling from Belarus to Lithuania. Due to the incident, which posed a threat to flight safety, Vilnius International Airport was closed from 11:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. GMT) on Tuesday until 6:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. GMT) on Wednesday. About 4,000 passengers were affected.