A French Rafale fighter jet operating as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Monday, ending an airspace threat that had prompted authorities to warn residents in eastern Latvia to seek shelter indoors.
Latvia’s National Armed Forces (NBS) said the drone was a “foreign unmanned aerial vehicle that had flown into Latvia as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare.” The military did not identify who launched the drone.
The airspace threat, first announced at around 9:20 a.m., was declared over at approximately 10:30 a.m. after NATO aircraft successfully intercepted and destroyed the drone. A cell broadcast alert had been sent to residents in the municipalities of Ludza, Balvi and Alūksne warning of a potential threat to airspace.
The NBS later confirmed that NATO jets had shot down the drone. Eyewitness reports indicated the incident occurred between Rēzekne and Kārsava in Nautrēni Parish in eastern Latvia.
At a press conference, Defence Minister Raivis Melnis praised the armed forces and NATO allies for quickly informing the public and responding to the threat. He said a search was under way for fragments of the drone to determine its identity and capabilities.
Asked about the cost of scrambling NATO aircraft and destroying the drone, Melnis said: “We shouldn’t count the money about how much each shot costs when we’re talking about our security.” He added that there were no indications of injuries or damage resulting from the incident.
Melnis also noted that a second drone alert remained in force during the press conference.
The French aircraft involved was based at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, where four French Rafale fighter jets have been stationed since April as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. The mission has patrolled the airspace of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia since the three Baltic states joined NATO in 2004. It currently also includes Romanian F-16 fighters in Šiauliai and Portuguese F-16 fighters in Ämari, Estonia.
The incident is the latest in a series of drone-related security concerns along NATO’s eastern border. Military drones straying into the airspace of Russia’s neighbours have raised fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over into alliance territory.
Ukraine has increased long-range drone attacks on Russia in recent months, including in the Baltic Sea region. Several Ukrainian military drones have reportedly strayed into the airspace of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Ukraine has attributed those incidents to Russian electromagnetic warfare affecting drone flight paths.
Last month, a Romanian fighter jet participating in the Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over Estonia, marking the first time a jet had “fired a missile in defence of the Alliance” in the Baltic region.
