Latvia convenes crisis council after drones enter airspace

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa on Thursday, May 7, convened an emergency meeting of the Crisis Management Council following a drone-related incident in the eastern region of Latgale, according to a report by Delfi.

The meeting was scheduled for 10:00 local time, with Siliņa instructing relevant ministers, government officials, and municipal representatives to deliver detailed reports on the situation.

Earlier in the day, Latvian authorities said that several drones had entered the country’s airspace from Russia. Officials confirmed that at least two drones had crashed: one was located at an oil depot in Rēzekne, while the location of the second drone remained unknown at the time of reporting.

According to the National Armed Forces of Latvia, the public alert system was activated in multiple areas in response to the incident. Alerts were issued at 4:09 in the municipalities of Ludza Municipality and Balvi Municipality, followed by a further alert at 4:43 in Rēzekne Municipality.

By approximately 8:30 local time, the military announced that the threat had been lifted.

In response to the incident, Defenсe Minister Andris Sprūds and Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis travelled to Rēzekne. A press conference involving representatives of the relevant services is scheduled to take place there at noon.

By Tamilla Hasanova