Unidentified object briefly enters Latvian airspace; army uses interceptor drone

On Sunday evening, at around 7 p.m., an orange alert was issued in Latvia's eastern Krāslava and Ludza municipalities over a possible threat to the country's airspace. It is the higher of two alert levels, and residents are urged to go indoors and follow the two-wall principle. The incident matters because it shows the ongoing risk Latvia faces from Russia's war in Ukraine.

About half an hour later, the Latvian army announced that the threat in the two municipalities was over. According to the army, an "unidentified flying object" left Latvian airspace at 7:16 p.m., crossing the border between Latvia and Russia.

Latvian-made interceptor drone used

Latvia's National Armed Forces (NBS) later revealed that, in response to the detected threat, they used the Latvian-made interceptor drone "Blaze". The object appears not to have been intercepted, since the army says it flew on into Russia. Close to the border, a decision was made to activate the interceptor drone's self-destruct mechanism to prevent it from possibly entering the neighbouring country. This is why an explosion could be heard near the incident site.

Similar cases earlier

The NBS notes that while Russia's aggression in Ukraine continues, foreign unmanned aerial vehicles approaching or entering Latvian airspace may happen again.

This year, residents of Latgale and Vidzeme have repeatedly received cell broadcast warnings about a possible airspace threat. Some drones have fallen and exploded in Latvia, and in one case a drone was shot down. These incidents were most likely linked to drones used in the Russia-Ukraine war approaching or entering Latvian airspace. In some cases the drones did not enter the airspace at all, and the warnings were sent more as a precaution.