NATO fighter jets shot down a foreign drone in eastern Latvian airspace on Friday after Russian electronic warfare pushed it across the border, the country’s defence ministry confirmed.
The interception came as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, with Italian Eurofighters scrambled from Siauliai air base in Lithuania alongside Turkish F-16s from Amari air base in Estonia. After positive identification, an Italian Eurofighter neutralised the threat over an unpopulated area in the Balvi region, NATO Air Command said.
Latvia’s armed forces said the drone entered the country “as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare.” Additional air defence units were deployed to Latvia’s eastern borders, and the military warned that “as long as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine continues, a recurrence of cases where foreign drones enter or approach Latvian airspace is possible.”
Pattern of Incursions Along NATO’s Eastern Flank
The incident is the second NATO shootdown over Latvia this year. In June, a French Rafale fighter downed a drone near Berzgale, roughly 30 kilometres from the Russian border, in what was the alliance’s first such intercept over Latvian territory. Romania has also faced repeated incursions, with fighter jets shooting down three drones in just three days in July.
Airspace threats were also identified in the Latvian municipalities of Augsgdaugava, Preili, Rezekne, Balvi, and Aluksne, but all have since ended, authorities said. Separately, Finland imposed temporary aviation and maritime restrictions in the eastern Gulf of Finland as a precautionary measure against potential drone activity.
NATO Allies Signal Unity
NATO allies gathered on Wednesday to discuss the mounting drone incursions, signalling their “full solidarity with and support for the affected Allies.” The alliance said it “stands ready to deter and defend against any aggression” and reiterated that Russia bears full responsibility for the airspace violations.
The Baltic Air Policing mission, launched in 2004 and expanded after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, sees allies deploy in four-month rotations to air bases in Lithuania and Estonia. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia provide the command and control infrastructure for the mission.
The latest shootdown comes amid a broader surge in drone-related incidents across Europe. Romania destroyed two Gerbera-type drones in the Black Sea near the Neptun Deep gas project, while Germany found an explosives-laden drone at Leipzig airport last week.
Sources: Euronews; France 24; NATO Air Command; Latvian National Armed Forces
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