Drone incidents in Latgale are a consequence of Russian aggression against Ukraine, believes Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, writes LETA.
The President contacted the chairman of the Rezekne City Council, Janis Tutins, and the chairman of the Rezekne District Council, Guntars Skudra, regarding the incidents that occurred.
"Thank you to the municipalities and responsible institutions for their actions in this situation. Unfortunately, these are direct consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine," noted Rinkēvičs.
He urged all residents to follow the instructions of the services.
As reported by the LETA agency, early Thursday morning, several drones entered Latvian airspace from Russia, at least one of which crashed in Rezekne, damaging a fuel storage facility.
Currently, two fallen drones are known, with the second one still being searched for.
At the request of the National Armed Forces (NAF), at 4:09 AM, the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) sent out a warning through the cellular alert system in the Ludza and Balvi regions, and at 4:43 AM in the Rezekne region. Around 8:30 AM, the armed forces reported the threat had been resolved.
The NAF reminds that as long as Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, there may be repeated instances of foreign drones entering or approaching Latvian airspace.
Both Minister of Defense Andris Sprūds and Minister of the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis reported that they were heading to Rezekne. A press conference by the responsible services is expected there at noon regarding the incident.
Sprūds explained in an interview with Latvian Television that, according to preliminary information, there is a possibility that these were drones heading from Ukraine to Russia, but this still needs to be assessed.
"Ukraine has every right to defend itself and strike targets on Russian territory," emphasized the minister, promising to inform the public as soon as more clarity arises regarding the targets of these drones.
