French fighter jets from Šiauliai shoot down drone in Latvian airspace
Lithuania A drone detected in Latvian airspace was shot down on Monday by French fighter jets operating under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission from Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania’s military confirmed.
The Latvian armed forces first reported a potential airspace threat at 9:18 AM in the municipalities of Ludza, Balvi, Rēzekne, and Alūksne, issuing mobile alerts to local residents. An hour later, Latvia’s military announced on social media that the drone had been downed.
Recent weeks have seen repeated violations of Baltic airspace, with Lithuania declaring air danger alerts twice in late May due to possible drone threats over parts of its territory.
The incident follows increased tensions in the region, where NATO’s air policing missions have been on heightened alert for unauthorised aerial activity.