French NATO jets shoot down drone over Latvia
French Air Force fighter jets operating under NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission have shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inside Latvian airspace. This marks the first security incident of its kind in Latvia, occurring alongside a simultaneous drone explosion in neighboring Moldova.
Airspace violations on the eastern flank
The Latvian National Armed Forces confirmed that the drone breached their eastern border as a direct result of Russian electronic warfare interference. In response to the aerial threat, authorities issued an orange alert for residents in the Ludza and Rēzekne regions, advising them to seek shelter and follow the "two-wall principle" safety protocol.
The neighboring district of Balvi was placed under a lower yellow alert, requiring no additional protective measures for the population.
Spillover effects in Moldova
Concurrently, a separate drone exploded near the village of Lopatna, located in the Orhei district of Moldova. The Moldovan Ministry of Defense is currently analyzing the debris to determine the aircraft's origin and flight circumstances.
The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that while initial data points to a Ukrainian origin, Russia bears ultimate responsibility for all airspace violations in the region due to its illegal war. According to BBC News, Estonia has previously intercepted and downed similar stray targets within Baltic airspace under similar circumstances.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
