The Latvian army commander, Leonids Kalnins, told reporters at a press conference that the drone which entered Latvian airspace on August 7 had crossed the border after departing from Belarus, according to military officials cited by RIA Novosti.
Kalnins added that the drone came from Belarus toward Latvia and that information was provided by NATO partners. National defense authorities reviewed the incident and concluded that the aircraft did not appear to have Latvia as its intended target, a determination Kalnins described as based on available evidence and intelligence assessments conducted in cooperation with allied forces.
In the wake of the incident, Latvian authorities reportedly summoned the Russian Chargé d’Affaires, Dmitry Kasatkin. Latvia’s defense leadership also signaled intensified measures along the eastern border, with the head of the Defense Ministry, Andris Spruds, pledging to bolster the air defense group in that sector. The move reflects ongoing concerns about border security and the broader security environment facing Latvia and its neighbors in the Baltic region.
On September 7, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs stated that a Russian military drone had crashed in the eastern part of the country. He noted that instances of such drone incursions were on the rise and emphasized the need for a coordinated, NATO-wide approach to counter these threats and safeguard regional stability. Rinkēvičs’, comments underscored the importance of collective defense measures and proactive defense planning in light of evolving drone capabilities observed in the region.
Earlier reporting indicated that a drone alleged to be manufactured in Russia had been found near the border area between Romania and Ukraine, highlighting a growing pattern of unmanned aerial activity near eastern borders and the broader implications for security across Europe. Analysts and officials have stressed the significance of robust surveillance, rapid response protocols, and interagency cooperation to address such threats that traverse national borders and traditional security demarcations. This trend has prompted allied nations to reassess air defense postures and to consider coordinated patrols, enhanced early warning systems, and shared intelligence to deter proliferation and misuse of unmanned systems in increasingly congested airspaces.