NATO shoots down drone after it enters Latvia’s airspace | World | News
The Latvian National Armed Forces announced on Monday morning that NATO aircrafts shot down a drone after it entered the country’s airspace. A message shared on X read: “Allied fighter jets have successfully shot down a drone that entered Latvia’s airspace.”
A message shared by the armed forces read informed residents of “a possible threat in Latvia’s airspace”. The National Armed Forces of Latvia previously also said “no further action is required at this time. If the situation escalates, you will be informed by a notification”. It then confirmed NATO jets “successfully shot down a drone”.
The armed forces also added that French Air Force squadrons under NATO were deployed to intercept the drone, but in a recent, separate update the armed forces said the threat is currently still ongoing in the Kraslava and Ludza districts. Their message read: “We inform you that there is a threat in Latvia’s airspace. Go indoors, follow the two-wall principle. Follow official announcements. If you notice a low-flying or suspicious object, do not approach it and call 112! We will inform you when the threat has ended.
“The National Armed Forces of Latvia inform – air threat inLatvian airspace. Seek safe place indoors and follow the two-wall principle. If you see a low-flying and suspicious object, do not approach it and call 112. You will be informed when thethreat has ended.”
NATO Baltic air policing mission fighters were activated after a drone entered the country’s airspace. It is understood the air threat was issued for the eastern regions of Latvia bordering Belarus and Russia, and residents were urged to stay indoors.
Given the trajectory of the drone, “we decided that we need to take it down”, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said at the time. “Most probably, today we can say that it was [a] drone which was, let’s say, meant to hit some Russian targets,” he also added.
Last week, a sea drone has exploded in the port of Constanta, in Romania, sending thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky and sparking mass evacuations. The Ukrainian Navy issued a message saying: “While carrying out missions in the Black Sea operational zone, one of the Ukrainian Navy’s unmanned surface vessels lost control due to enemy electronic warfare measures and drifted toward the coast of Romania.”
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, commenting on the drone explosion said: “This is a direct consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is increasingly becoming a direct threat to countries on our Eastern border.”
