NATO fighters shoot down drone in Latvian airspace

NATO Baltic air policing fighters shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace in Rugāji Parish on Friday morning, LSM reported. Defence Minister Raivis Melnis said the decision was taken to prevent the drone from harming people in Latvia.

Melnis told Latvian Radio that drones must be shot down after assessing the location to reduce risks to residents. He said the decision was based on the danger posed by drones entering Latvian territory, adding that it was impossible to guarantee that an unmanned aircraft would simply fall in a swamp or forest.

The minister rejected residents’ concerns that several drones had been seen. He said the sound of fighter aircraft accelerating could have caused the reports, and that only one drone had been detected.

Melnis said it was not yet possible to determine what type of drone had been shot down. Investigators need to recover wreckage and other evidence to establish the drone’s country of origin and identity.

National Guard troops were assigned to search for the wreckage shortly after the drone exploded. Major Mārtiņš Kaparšmits, commander of the 31st Infantry Battalion, told LSM’s Latgale newsroom that several dozen National Guard members arrived at the approximate crash site after the scale of the search area had been assessed.

The 31st Battalion is currently involved, with other battalions from the National Guard’s 2nd Vidzeme Brigade also expected to join the search. Troops have divided the forested area into smaller sections and will continue searching for as long as necessary.