Debris of Unknown Origin Drone Found in Rezekne Municipality 0 11

Today, one of the residents reported to the emergency services number 112 that debris of an unmanned aerial vehicle may have been found in the Silmalas parish.

The police immediately arrived at the scene and confirmed the received information.

Currently, the police are working at the site together with the National Armed Forces (NAF) and the municipal police of Rezekne municipality. The area of the incident is cordoned off.

The debris is not explosive, and there is currently no threat to the public. The State Police have initiated a criminal process under the Criminal Law article "Crimes Against the State."

The circumstances of the incident are currently being established.

The advisor to the NAF commander for communications, Robert Skrauchs, stated that the arriving NAF sappers concluded that the incident site poses no danger.

The NAF is currently analyzing data from airspace control systems to clarify the circumstances of the incident. The country of origin of the drone is still unknown.

Skrauchs also emphasized that there is currently no threat to Latvia's airspace.

Defense Minister Andris Spruds stated that he has instructed to clarify all the circumstances of the incident. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely," the minister wrote on Twitter, also confirming that the debris of the drone is not explosive and does not pose a threat to residents.

The police remind that if a suspicious drone or its debris is found, it is necessary to immediately call 112, providing the location, time, and any other known information. Under no circumstances should one approach the drone or its debris.

The police also urge not to spread unverified information and to pass any available photo and video materials to law enforcement agencies.

It was previously reported that on Monday evening, the Latvian army detected a foreign drone near the Latvian-Russian border — close to the territories of the Ludza and Balvi municipalities. To inform residents in the relevant regions, the mobile network alert system was activated.

The device did not enter Latvian airspace, and after it moved away from the border, a message was sent out indicating the end of the threat.

It was also reported that last week, drones flew into and exploded in all three Baltic states. They were likely directed at targets in Russia as part of Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression but deviated from their course or were shot down by electronic warfare means.

A drone entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Wednesday night and exploded in the Kraslava region about a kilometer from the center of the Svarini parish, while another briefly entered from Belarus and headed back to Russia.

After this, a public discussion unfolded about the need to timely inform residents in such cases using the emergency alert system.

Šodien, 1. aprīlī, kāds iedzīvotājs ziņoja uz vienoto ārkārtas palīdzības izsaukumu numuru 112, ka Rēzeknes novada Silmalas pagastā, iespējams, konstatētas bezpilota gaisa kuģa atlūzas. Valsts policija nekavējoties devās uz notikuma vietu, gūstot apliecinājumu saņemtajai… pic.twitter.com/MRObpTExTO

— Valsts policija (@Valsts_policija) April 1, 2026