In first, Latvia shoots down a drone that entered its airspace
French Air Force fighter jets participating in NATO’s Baltic air policing mission shot down a drone that had entered Latvian airspace, the Latvian military said.
The nationality of the drone was not disclosed.
The Baltic news website Delfi notes that this is the first time a drone that entered Latvian airspace has been shot down.
Residents of the Ludza and Rēzekne districts received an orange air threat alert on their phones, advising them to seek shelter.
In recent months, drones have repeatedly entered the airspace of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. Authorities in those countries said the drones were Ukrainian and had strayed into their airspace due to Russia’s use of electronic warfare systems. Russia, in turn, accused the Baltic states of allowing Ukrainian drones to use their airspace to carry out attacks on Russian regions.
In early May, Latvia was plunged into a political crisis after two Ukrainian drones entered its airspace from Russia. Latvia’s defense minister, Andris Sprūds, resigned after being criticized for the military’s inability to ensure the country’s security. The ruling coalition collapsed soon afterward.
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