Latvia says Russian drone that violated airspace came through Belarus
The Baltic state passed details of the incident to NATO, following news of a Shahed drone crossing into Romania overnight.
Latvia’s defense ministry said Sunday that a unmanned Russian drone had crashed in Rēzekne region in the east of the country, having flown in through Belarus.
The country’s armed forces also informed the NATO chain of command about the incident, which it is investigating.
“This situation is a confirmation that we need to continue the work we have started to strengthen Latvia’s eastern border, including the development of air defence capabilities and electronic warfare capabilities to limit the activities of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] of different applications,” said Defense Minister Andris Sprūds.
A press release on the defense ministry’s website emphasized: “Latvian airspace is part of NATO airspace.”
Sunday’s Russian drone incursion is the second this weekend into European Union territory. Reports indicated that Romania scrambled F-16 jets overnight Saturday into Sunday as a Shahed drone entered its territory.
Russian drones have entered Romanian territory several times over the summer, as Moscow continues to bomb neighboring Odesa region in Ukraine.
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