Drones Enter Latvian Airspace from Russia
(MENAFN) Multiple drones pierced Latvian airspace from the direction of Russia in the early hours of Thursday, with two crashing in the eastern Latgale region, the country's National Armed Forces (NAF) confirmed.
Emergency mobile alerts were pushed to residents across the Ludza, Balvi, and Rezekne districts as the incursion unfolded before dawn, the NAF said, adding that the air alert has since been lifted and that reinforced air defense units have been repositioned along the eastern border.
The incident triggered immediate disruptions to daily life. All schools in Rezekne were shuttered after at least one drone struck an oil storage facility in the area, according to a Latvian news agency. Students in Ludza and Balvi were shifted to remote learning as a precautionary measure.
The breach has set off alarm bells at the highest levels of government. Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, convened an emergency session of its national security commission Thursday in direct response to the incursion.
The origin of the drones has not yet been definitively established. While the flight path pointed toward Russian territory, investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the unmanned aircraft were Ukrainian drones that veered off course — a scenario that has materialized on multiple recent occasions, with Ukrainian drones targeting Russian positions having previously strayed into both Latvian and Estonian airspace.
Emergency mobile alerts were pushed to residents across the Ludza, Balvi, and Rezekne districts as the incursion unfolded before dawn, the NAF said, adding that the air alert has since been lifted and that reinforced air defense units have been repositioned along the eastern border.
The incident triggered immediate disruptions to daily life. All schools in Rezekne were shuttered after at least one drone struck an oil storage facility in the area, according to a Latvian news agency. Students in Ludza and Balvi were shifted to remote learning as a precautionary measure.
The breach has set off alarm bells at the highest levels of government. Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, convened an emergency session of its national security commission Thursday in direct response to the incursion.
The origin of the drones has not yet been definitively established. While the flight path pointed toward Russian territory, investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the unmanned aircraft were Ukrainian drones that veered off course — a scenario that has materialized on multiple recent occasions, with Ukrainian drones targeting Russian positions having previously strayed into both Latvian and Estonian airspace.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any
responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos,
licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues
related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment