The unmanned aerial vehicle that entered Latvian airspace and detonated was a Ukrainian drone, which apparently was part of a coordinated operation by Ukraine against targets in Russia, said Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Evika Silina, LETA reports.
He emphasized that the exchange of information between services and government officials worked adequately. The information was received in a timely manner, including by the head of the Kraslava region.
At the same time, the president noted that the main challenge remains the development of air defense systems. According to him, decisions in this area have already been made, purchases have been completed, and contracts have been signed, but it is necessary to wait for deliveries.
The president pointed out that the main focus should be on developing systems that can neutralize drones of this type as much as possible, considering that the object was in Latvian territory for a relatively short time and fell 10–15 kilometers from the border.
The head of state stated that there is currently no need to convene an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council, given the coordination already conducted between the services.
Rinkevics also noted that the hostilities in the Middle East and the war waged by Russia against Ukraine are much closer than it may seem, and Latvia still has a number of urgent tasks.
As previously reported, the drone that entered Latvian airspace at night exploded in the Kraslava region about a kilometer from the center of the Svariņi parish, a municipal representative reported.
The incident occurred about a kilometer from Svariņciems, the center of the Svariņi parish. The nearest settlement is located approximately 300–400 meters away.
The Air Force recorded the entry of an unmanned aerial vehicle from a foreign state into Latvian 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 Latvian airspace has been identified, the ministry noted, adding that no civilians were harmed and no damage to civilian infrastructure was caused.
