Rajev: Russian drone bases aimed at Ukraine, not Europe — threat overstated
Reserve Colonel Igors Rajevs of Latvia's National Armed Forces dismisses a report by The Telegraph on Russian drone launch sites as alarmist, arguing the sites currently target Ukraine rather than Europe.
A report in the British newspaper The Telegraph about Russian drone launch sites, from which several Eastern and Central European countries — including Latvia — could theoretically be reached, has drawn wide attention. However, reserve Colonel Igors Rajevs of Latvia's National Armed Forces, speaking on the TV24 programme "Par karu Ukrainā ar Igoru Rajevu," urges a calmer assessment of these conclusions.
According to Rajevs, the article has caused unnecessary alarm, since the mere fact that Russia possesses long-range drones already means they could theoretically reach European territory regardless of the specific launch location. He stresses that what matters more is where the launch positions are actually located and in which direction they are currently being used.
Positions oriented toward Ukraine
Rajevs notes that most of these sites are located in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory or nearby, while others are positioned toward northern Ukraine and near Belarus. In his view, this clearly indicates the current target is Ukraine, not preparation for an attack on Europe.
Fixed positions are vulnerable
Rajevs highlights a key military distinction: unlike mobile missile systems such as the Iskander, which are hard to detect due to their ability to relocate quickly, these drone launch sites are stationary. Once their coordinates are known, NATO can monitor and, if necessary, destroy them, while Russia cannot quickly move or conceal them.
The colonel concludes that the impression created by the publication of an imminent new threat to Europe is significantly overstated, though he does not rule out that Russia's long-range drones could pose a potential military risk in the future.
