Event 593

{
  "border_violation_countries": [
    "LT",
    "Air"
  ],
  "category": "Border",
  "confidence": "Low",
  "confidence_rationale": "The newsletter article explicitly describes legislative and security attention toward unauthorized use of balloons potentially violating Lithuanian airspace for smuggling and possible intelligence gathering. Legislative actions and public debate are cited.",
  "country": "Lithuania",
  "defense_prep": {},
  "description": "Lithuanian authorities expressed concerns about increased use of weather balloons, presumed for smuggling, meteorological data collection, and possibly espionage. There is legislative movement to empower border guards to down suspicious balloons.",
  "event_time_utc": "2024-10-04T12:00:00Z",
  "evidence": [
    "Concerns over weather balloons used for smuggling or possible espionage, referenced legislative changes, and debates among security entities.",
    "Official statement: 'the government has decided to table legislation allowing border guards and public security servicemen to take down smuggler balloons.'"
  ],
  "evidence_quotes": [
    "This week, Lithuanian politicians and institutions were preoccupied with balloons.",
    "Smugglers have long been using weather balloons – intended for collecting meteorological data higher up in the atmosphere – to transport contraband, sometimes from Belarus to Lithuania.",
    "the government has decided to table legislation allowing border guards and public security servicemen to take down smuggler balloons.",
    "Most importantly, who should be dealing with it: The defense minister suggested it should not be the military but border guards."
  ],
  "evidence_urls": [
    "https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2376620/lrt-english-newsletter-ballooning-threats"
  ],
  "extra": {
    "category_raw": "Smuggling/Sabotage",
    "extra": {
      "extra": {
        "extra": {
          "evidence": [
            "Concerns over weather balloons used for smuggling or possible espionage, referenced legislative changes, and debates among security entities.",
            "Official statement: 'the government has decided to table legislation allowing border guards and public security servicemen to take down smuggler balloons.'"
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "follow_up_by_country": [],
  "follow_up_notes": "??Lithuania updates on smuggler balloon threat",
  "headline": "LRT English Newsletter: Ballooning threats",
  "media_assets": [
    {
      "description": "Screenshot capture",
      "type": "screenshot",
      "url": "/media/event_593_1763932074_459961ce.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "notes": "Continuing threat. ??Lithuania updates on smuggler balloon threat",
  "schema_version": "v1",
  "screenshot_count": 1,
  "sources": [
    "https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2376620/lrt-english-newsletter-ballooning-threats"
  ],
  "summary_short": "Lithuania is considering measures to tackle security threats posed by unidentified weather balloons, believed used for smuggling or espionage.",
  "url": "https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2376620/lrt-english-newsletter-ballooning-threats"
}

{
  "5th Column of Russians Inside (which countries)": "",
  "Attack Type": "Smuggling/Sabotage",
  "Borders Including Sea, Air,  Violation or Sabotage (which countries)": "LT Air",
  "Continuous? (e.g. Jammers)": "",
  "Country (FI;EE;LV;LT;PL;BSR;Air)\nSeparated by Semicolon": "LT",
  "Date": "4-Oct-24",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Follow-Up Link?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2376620/lrt-english-newsletter-ballooning-threats",
  "Follow-Up NOTES": "",
  "Follow-Up incl. Investigation, Prosecution?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "??Lithuania updates on smuggler balloon threat",
  "Latitude, Longitude (WGS84, Decimal Degrees)": "",
  "NOTES": "Continuing threat. ??Lithuania updates on smuggler balloon threat",
  "Political Disruptions w/ Laws to Favor Kremlin (which countries)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Screen Snapshot": "",
  "Screen Snapshots": "",
  "Type Dropdown": "",
  "Where?\n(Air, Land, Sea)": ""
}