Two drones entered Nato member Latvia from Russian territory on Thursday morning, with Latvia's Defence Minister suggesting they were likely launched by Ukraine against targets in Russia. The incident occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mocked Russia's planned May 9 parade, saying 'They fear drones may buzz.'
Damage at Rezekne Storage Facility
Four empty oil tanks at a storage facility in Rezekne, approximately 40 km from the Russian border, were damaged. Possible drone debris was found at the site. Firefighters extinguished a smouldering area of around 30 square metres in one of the tanks. Military jets from the Nato Baltic air policing mission were summoned to the location.
Authorities Respond
Latvian authorities issued drone alerts to residents along the Russian border, asking them to stay indoors. All schools in Rezekne were closed for the day. This follows similar stray Ukrainian drone crashes in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania in late March. Meanwhile, Ukraine accused Russia of violating a proposed ceasefire by carrying out numerous assaults and air strikes.
