Latvia issues drone alert, scrambles NATO fighter jets
At least one drone flew in Latvia’s airspace and NATO warplanes were activated to combat the threat, the Baltic nation’s military said, the latest in a series of such security incidents in the region.
Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone attacks against Russia, including in the Baltic Sea, in recent months, and several Ukrainian military drones have entered the airspace of NATO members Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
“We confirm the presence of at least one unmanned aircraft in Latvian airspace,” the Latvian Armed Forces said on social media platform X on Thursday.
A military spokesman told Latvian Television that it was confirmed that a drone had crossed from Belarus to Latvia, but its whereabouts were unknown.
The Latvian government resigned on May 14 over its handling of the attacks, and talks are ongoing on the appointment of a new cabinet.
In a statement, the armed forces told residents of eastern Latvia, on the border with Russia and Belarus, to shelter indoors until further notice.
A NATO warplane shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over neighboring Estonia on Tuesday, while a similar airspace violation in Lithuania on Wednesday halted air traffic to the capital and forced lawmakers to seek shelter underground.
“They (Ukraine) absolutely do not want their drones to crash into friendly territory, for obvious reasons,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday. he said.
“Sometimes it’s a matter of jamming. Sometimes it’s a matter of other disturbances,” he told a joint media conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
The Baltic states, all strong supporters of Ukraine, blamed Moscow for the events, saying it had diverted Ukrainian drones away from intended targets in Russia, but did not provide evidence of the allegations.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was monitoring the situation.
He had previously accused the Baltic states of allowing Ukraine to launch drones from their territory; This was a claim that both they and NATO vehemently rejected.
Poland’s defense minister said Ukraine should be very careful when using drones to avoid giving Russia the opportunity to interfere with flight paths.
Russian threats against the Baltic states are “unacceptable” and will be seen as a threat to the entire European Union, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
