Russian intel claims Ukraine planning drone strikes from Latvian territory

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed on Tuesday that Ukraine is preparing a new wave of drone strikes against Russian regions using Latvian territory as a launch point for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), News.Az reports, citing Anadolu.

The SVR said the “regime of Volodymyr Zelenskyy is determined to demonstrate to its ideological and financial patrons in Europe that the Ukrainian armed forces retain combat capability and the ability to inflict damage on the Russian economy.”

The agency alleged that Ukrainian forces intend not only to use air corridors previously provided by Baltic states, but also to launch drones directly from their territory in order to shorten flight times and increase the effectiveness of attacks.

“According to the information received, Kyiv does not intend to limit itself to using the air corridors that the Baltic countries had provided to the armed forces of Ukraine (AFU). Drones are also planned to be launched from the territory of these states,” it stated.

Moscow also claimed that Latvia had agreed to support such operations, despite concerns about possible retaliation. These claims could not be independently verified.

The SVR further alleged that Ukrainian unmanned systems personnel have already been deployed to Latvian military bases, including Ādaži, Sēlija, Lielvārde, Daugavpils, and Jēkabpils.

It added that modern intelligence capabilities make it possible to identify drone launch sites, including through analysis of recovered drone wreckage.

The statement also warned that “decision-making centers” in Latvia are allegedly known to Russian intelligence, and suggested that NATO membership would not protect those it described as “accomplices of terrorists” from retaliation.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev