Latvia detects foreign drone entering airspace from Russia

Latvia’s Air Force has detected a foreign drone that entered the country’s airspace from the direction of Russia, the country's Ministry of Defence said, adding that the circumstances of the incident are under investigation.

“At 2:19 a.m., our radars detected indications of what could be an unidentified aerial object approaching Latvian territory and crossing the state border. We also observed this on our acoustic sensors, and our air defence group was dispatched,” Egils Leščinskis stated, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of the National Armed Forces, speaking on the “Morning Panorama” program on Latvian television.

Leščinskis noted that the object exploded at approximately 2:30 a.m. The incident occurred near the village of Dobročina in the Kraslava region. Latvian authorities believe the drone deviated from its course and was affected by electromagnetic interference.

No civilians were injured, and no damage to civilian infrastructure was reported. The ministry clarified that no further threat to public safety or Latvia’s airspace has been identified.

Units from the National Armed Forces, State Police, and State Border Guard Service are currently at the scene. Drone debris has been recovered, according to the Ministry of Defence.

By Jeyhun Aghazada