Photo: EPA
On Monday, June 8, NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that violated Latvian airspace, marking the first known case of a drone being downed over Latvia, according to Reuters and Latvian Armed Forces.
The Latvian military stated on social media platform X that NATO air policing forces successfully intercepted and destroyed the unmanned aerial vehicle after it entered the country’s airspace. The drone was not identified, but authorities said it likely strayed into Latvia as a result of Russian electronic warfare activity.
French fighter jets participating in NATO’s air policing mission carried out the interception. Residents in eastern Latvia were briefly instructed to take shelter due to the airspace violation, but the alert was later lifted after the drone was neutralized.
Latvian media report that this is the first time a drone has been shot down within Latvian airspace. The incident adds to growing concern over UAV incursions near NATO’s eastern borders, which some officials view as a spillover risk from Russia’s war against Ukraine.
In a related precedent, NATO aircraft last month reportedly shot down a drone over Estonia, which was believed to be of Ukrainian origin.
