Belarus has criticized Lithuania’s fluctuating border checkpoint policies, calling them “thoughtless and unjustified.” The State Customs Committee of Belarus stated this on October 25, citing the Lithuanian authorities’ abrupt closure and subsequent reopening of key checkpoints.
The committee condemned Lithuania’s actions, noting that road checkpoints at Myadininkai (Kamenny Log) and Shalchininkai (Benyakoni) were reopened 12 hours after being closed, without prior notice. “Unjustified and thoughtless decisions by the Lithuanian authorities, devoid of any warnings or explanations,” the committee wrote on its Telegram channel.
Lithuania’s ministry emphasized that the actions represent an unprecedented and indefensible shift in policy. Earlier, on October 22, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginene suggested potential full border closures with Belarus, citing concerns over “contraband weather balloons” detected in the country’s airspace. National Security Adviser Deivydas Matulenis had previously warned of possible border restrictions.
On October 25, Lithuania reopened checkpoints 12 hours after their initial closure, according to reports from the Belarusian Customs Committee, which noted that cross-border traffic had been halted since the evening of October 24.
