Latvian defence minister resigns after Ukrainian drones hit oil tanks

(Corrected foreign minister title of Ukrainian minister in paragraph 4)

Written by: Janis Laizans and Andrius Sytas

RIGA, May 10 (Reuters) – Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigned on Sunday after two Ukrainian drones flew from Russia and hit oil storage facilities on Thursday.

Earlier on Sunday, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina demanded resignation, saying anti-drone systems were not being deployed quickly enough. Latvian army appointed colonel ⁠Raivis Melnis as new defense minister.

Latvia and Lithuania on Thursday called on NATO to strengthen air defenses in their regions after two drones arrived at the Russian border and exploded at an oil storage facility in Latvia.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on X on Sunday that the drones belonged to Ukraine and were flown to Latvia as a result of “Russia’s electronic warfare deliberately diverting Ukrainian drones from their targets in Russia.”

In response to drone incidents, Ukraine is considering sending experts to help strengthen air security over the Baltic states, Sybiha said on Friday.

(Reporting by Janis Laizans in Riga and Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Editing by Ros Russell)