Latvia extends partial airspace closure along borders with Russia and Belarus

Latvia has announced that the partial closure of its airspace along the borders with Russia and Belarus will continue, coming into effect from October 8 at night, from 20:00 to 07:00, Latvian media reported.

Andris Spruds, head of the Defence Ministry’s Department, explained that the partial airspace restriction is linked to a series of drone provocations in other NATO countries.

He added that future decisions regarding the closure will be coordinated with other Baltic states and aligned with the planning of NATO’s Operation Eastern Shield.

Latvia initially imposed a temporary ban on flights in its airspace along the eastern border with Belarus and Russia starting September 11. From September 18 to October 8, the airspace in this zone was closed at night between 20:00 and 07:00.

Meanwhile, the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, recently rejected a proposal to implement a permanent closure of the airspace along the eastern border.

For context, neighbouring Lithuania extended the partial closure of its airspace along the border with Belarus, initially introduced ahead of the Russian-Belarusian military exercises “Zapad,” until December 1.

By Tamilla Hasanova