Currently, there is no evidence that the drone that fell in Latgale and was equipped with a warhead was intentionally directed towards Latvia, said Brigadier General Egils Leščinskis, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of the National Armed Forces for Operational Issues, to journalists on Wednesday, LETA reports.
The general also noted that the drone, equipped with an internal combustion engine, was flying at a rather low altitude, which explains why it was outside the range of major radar systems.
Regarding the country of origin of the drone, the general refused to speculate, so he cannot confirm whether it was a Russian or Ukrainian drone.
"Currently, there is no evidence that this was a specially organized operation by Russia," he emphasized.
After the detonation, the drone disintegrated, and its parts are scattered, so the army and internal affairs services are currently engaged in collecting the debris.
As previously reported, the drone that entered Latvia's airspace at night exploded in the Kraslava region about a kilometer from the center of the Svariņi parish, a representative of the municipality told the LETA agency.
The incident occurred about a kilometer from Svariņciems, the center of the Svariņi parish. The nearest populated area is located about 300–400 meters away.
The Air Force recorded the entry of an unmanned aerial vehicle from a foreign state into Latvia's airspace from the direction of Russia. Early warning systems detected a sound resembling an explosion in the Kraslava region.
Debris from the drone has been found at the scene. Units of the National Armed Forces, the State Police, and the State Border Guard are working there.
No further threat to the civilian population and the security of Latvia's airspace has been identified, the ministry noted, adding that civilians were not harmed and no damage to civilian infrastructure was caused.
