The incident involving drones in eastern Latvia prompted an emergency response from authorities, but services emphasize: there are no signs of a terrorist threat.
Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis stated that in connection with the drone incidents, there are no signs of terrorism. "The drones, according to preliminary information, were not deliberately directed at specific targets," he noted.
According to the minister, the services continue to search for the second fallen drone. It is presumed that it may have fallen in a remote and sparsely populated area of the Rezekne region. At the same time, Kozlovskis refused to comment on the possible origin of the drones.
Following the incident, the Parliament's National Security Commission was urgently convened. The meeting will begin at 12:45, and representatives from the police, military, and rescue services have been invited.
The State Security Service is operating in an enhanced mode, and the National Armed Forces, together with NATO allies, continue to monitor the airspace. Air defense has been additionally strengthened along the eastern border.
As previously reported, early Thursday morning, several drones flew into Latvia's airspace from the direction of Russia, two of which fell. One fell in Rezekne, damaging an oil storage facility, while the second has not yet been found.
During the night, an emergency alert system was activated in the region — residents of the Ludza, Balvi, and Rezekne regions received notifications. By morning, services reported that the threat in the airspace had been eliminated.
At the scene in Rezekne, the fire was quickly localized — no open flames were recorded, and one of the tanks was being cooled. The police have initiated a criminal process to investigate the circumstances.
Additionally, flight restrictions have been imposed in the eastern part of the country — up to an altitude of about six kilometers. These do not apply to civil aviation.
Classes have been canceled in educational institutions in Rezekne, and in neighboring regions, some schools have switched to remote learning. Residents are advised to work remotely if possible.
Rezekne Mayor Janis Tutins noted that the situation is under control:
"Everything has been resolved promptly; only the residents' concerns remain."
At noon, authorities and services plan to provide additional clarifications at a press conference.
The incident demonstrated that even without signs of terrorism, such cases require rapid response — both from the services and at the state level.
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