Latvia says Russian drone crashed on NATO soil

Latvia's President Edgars Rinkevics has stated that a Russian military drone had crashed in the country’s territory, highlighting a rise in airspace breaches along NATO's eastern borders.

“Russian military drone has crashed in the Eastern part of Latvia yesterday. There is an ongoing investigation,” the Latvian president said on X, News.Az reports.

“We are in close contact with our allies. The number of such incidents is increasing along the Eastern flank of NATO and we must address them collectively,” Rinkevics emphasized.

Russian military drone has crashed in the Eastern part of Latvia yesterday. There is an ongoing investigation. We are in close contact with our allies. The number of such incidents is increasing along the Eastern flank of NATO and we must address them collectively.

— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) September 8, 2024

Latvia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the drone had flown into the country's airspace from Belarus and crashed in the municipality of Rezekne.

"This situation is a confirmation that we need to continue the work we have started to strengthen Latvia's eastern border, including the development of air defense capabilities and electronic warfare capabilities to limit the activities of UAVs of different applications," said Defense Minister Andris Spruds.

News.Az