The expert warned: such incidents involving drones entering our territory will occur more frequently.
The arrival of drones in Latgale, one of which was clearly equipped with explosives, has once again sparked discussion both in society and political circles about whether these drones should be shot down.
"A broader discussion is needed in society about how and in what cases drones that have entered Latvian airspace should be shot down," said Janis Garisons, former State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense and currently the Chairman of the Board of the military enterprise SIA “NEWT21,” on the Latvian Radio program “Krustpunkti.”
"This is not a simple question – whether to strike or not. We need to understand the risk – if something falls down – be it bullets or something from the drone – there must be confidence that the residents in that area know what to do and are safe. Or should we shoot in an area where it will not threaten anyone?" Garisons explained.
He also reminded that in peacetime, in which Latvia still lives, one can only shoot in self-defense. "I fear that any commander would hesitate to make the decision to shoot down a drone because there will be investigations if, God forbid, you hit a civilian," said Garisons.
At the same time, he believes that there is currently a "semi-wartime regime" – between peacetime and wartime. "And it is only a matter of time before similar incidents occur at sea, as Russia is developing maritime drones. If the commander who will be responsible has even the slightest fear that he will be punished for this later, nothing will happen," the expert emphasized in an interview with Latvian Radio.
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