As announced by the National Armed Forces (NBS), NATO air defense mission fighters successfully shot down a foreign drone in Balvi municipality on Friday morning, which entered Latvia due to Russian electronic warfare actions.
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The head of the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center (NKVC), Vilmantas Vitkauskas, in turn, reported that the drone was shot down by aircraft that took off from the airbase in Šiauliai.
“The decision to shoot down the drone was made considering the danger it posed. Drones entering Latvian territory can pose a threat to our residents, so they must be destroyed,” emphasized R. Melnis.
He pointed out that it is impossible to guarantee that the unmanned vehicle will simply fall somewhere in a swamp or forest.
He also dismissed residents’ concerns that several drones were allegedly spotted today.
R. Melnis explained that only one drone was detected, but residents might have heard the noise of accelerating fighters.
As informed by the Communications Directorate of the Joint Staff Information Analysis and Management Department of the National Armed Forces, the military currently cannot provide exact information about the drone type or its country of origin. Such drones enter Latvian airspace due to targeted Russian electromagnetic warfare actions.
Allied fighters shot down the drone that entered Latvian airspace near Lake Boževo, about five kilometers from the center of Rugāji village in Balvi municipality, said Sandra Kapteine, head of the Rugāji municipality administration, to the LETA agency.
She emphasized that the drone was shot down in a forested area and that residents or property were not harmed. According to S. Kapteine, responsible services are currently working at the incident site.
The incident site is being inspected by NBS soldiers, National Guard members, and State Police officers.
Since the drone was shot down at a high altitude, its debris may be scattered over a large area, said military representative Iveta Berzina (Iveta Bėrzinia).
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