Two drones entered Nato member Latvia from Russian territory and crashed on Thursday morning, the Latvian army has confirmed. The incident prompted the scrambling of military jets from the multinational Nato Baltic air policing mission.
Details of the Incident
Latvia's Defence Minister Andris Spruds told national broadcaster LSM that the drones were 'probably launched by Ukraine against targets in Russia.' Four empty oil tanks were damaged at a storage facility in Rezekne, approximately 40 km (25 miles) from the Russian border. Firefighters extinguished a smouldering area of around 30 square metres in one of the tanks. Police and firefighters reported finding possible debris from a crashed drone at the site.
Authorities' Response
Latvian authorities issued drone alerts to residents along the Russian border at 4.09am local time (01.09 GMT) on Thursday, advising them to stay indoors. All schools in Rezekne will be closed on Thursday, the municipality announced.
This is not the first such occurrence. Several stray Ukrainian drones hit Latvia and its Nato neighbours Estonia and Lithuania in late March. One drone slammed into a chimney at a local power station, while another crash-landed in a frozen lake and exploded.
Official Statements
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina stated on her X account at the time: 'I am in close communication with the Minister of Defense, the National Armed Forces, and the responsible services, as well as the leaders of Estonia and Lithuania. An investigation into the incident is underway, but initial information suggests that a Ukrainian drone may have entered and crashed in Latvia's territory. There are no casualties.'
The three Baltic countries have never allowed their territories and airspace to be used for drone attacks against targets in Russia, their foreign ministers said in April.
