Foreign drone that fell on 18 October found in forest in Latvia's Aluksne municipality
A foreign-made drone that may have crashed on 18 October has been found in a forest in Liepna parish, Aluksne municipality, Latvia. The National Armed Forces have opened an internal review, and police are investigating in a criminal case.
A drone that probably came down on 18 October was found on Saturday, 25 October, in a forest in Liepna parish, Aluksne municipality, in eastern Latvia. The National Armed Forces (NBS) told the LETA news agency about the find, and the Ministry of Defence said the aircraft is foreign. The case matters because it raises questions about how the country detects and responds to objects in its airspace.
The find and the investigation
On Saturday morning the State Police received a report about possible drone debris in the forest. Officers searched the hard-to-reach terrain and confirmed the report. They finished their work at the scene that evening, but the investigation continues. A criminal case has been opened under the section of the Criminal Law covering crimes against the state. Police thanked the resident who reported the discovery immediately.
Soldiers of the explosive ordnance disposal company of the 54th Combat Support Battalion, part of the National Guard's 2nd Vidzeme Brigade, removed the debris. The NBS is working with police and other agencies to establish the circumstances, and it has also launched an internal service review of the incident and the decisions taken.
What happened on 18 and 19 October
On 18 October the NBS received reports of an explosion-like noise in Liepna parish. Analysis of airspace surveillance data pointed to a possible unidentified object moving through Latvian airspace, and a search for the crash site began with police. The search was halted after two days because the available information was not enough to confirm a crash or locate it. At the time, the NBS publicly said the report had not been confirmed.
The military says the data then did not allow a clear identification of a drone or a confirmed threat, so the criteria for sending a mobile phone alert were not met. No civilians were hurt, civilian infrastructure was not damaged, and no further danger has been identified.
Liepna parish official Eduards Voilaks said the drone fell in a state-owned forest. Interior Minister Janis Dombrava of the National Alliance praised the police and urged residents to keep reporting to the authorities.
The NBS notes that Russia's war in Ukraine creates security risks in the region, and that Russian electronic warfare can disrupt drone navigation, so similar incidents cannot be ruled out.
