New missile parts found in Poland, drone debris in Latvia after Russian drone incursion
A fragment of a Russian Gerbera drone was found washed ashore in Latvia, while fragments of a missile, possibly used to down a Russian drone, were discovered in Poland, local authorities reported on Sept. 18 and 19.
The news came over a week after Russia carried out its largest violation of NATO airspace since the start of the full-scale war in 2022, with at least 21 drones entering Poland during a mass attack on Ukraine.
The piece of a tail section of the Gerbera drone was found near the Latvian village of Varve in the western Ventspils district.
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said that, according to the military, the debris does not contain explosives.
Designed as a decoy drone to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses, the Gerbera is made of foam and plywood, weighs under 20 kilograms (45 pounds), and has a range of up to 600 kilometers (370 miles).
Drones of this model are believed to have violated Polish airspace on Sept. 10.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina instructed Latvia’s defense and interior ministers to coordinate with their Polish counterparts and clarify whether this drone is one of those detected in Poland last week.
"Our priority has been to strengthen the eastern border, while it is clear that protecting the Baltic Sea coast by installing the necessary sensors is equally important," Silina wrote on X.
The Polish military police also reported that on Sept. 18, missile fragments, likely from a weapon used to shoot down a drone, were discovered in the village of Choiny, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Lublin and 70 kilometers (40 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
The police did not mention any damage or casualties and said that the forensic investigation is underway.
The Lublin province lies at Poland's eastern border with Ukraine, and most of the Russian drones that entered Polish airspace last week were discovered here.
Warsaw said that Polish and allied aircraft downed at least three Russian drones during the incursion. No casualties were reported, but a house in the village of Wyryki in the Lublin province was damaged.
Polish media publication Rzeczpospolita reported on Sept. 16 that the house may have been damaged by a missile fired by a Polish F-16 fighter jet against the drones. Poland's authorities neither confirmed nor denied the claim, but stressed that Russia bears the ultimate responsibility.
Days after a Russian drone incursion into Poland, another Russian drone violated Romanian airspace, remaining in NATO airspace for around 50 minutes, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky said that Russia seeks to sow doubts among NATO countries over providing Ukraine with additional air defense systems.
Russian attack drones have repeatedly violated NATO airspace since 2022, crossing into Lithuania, Poland, and Romania. Until Sept. 10, there had never been a confirmed instance of NATO defenses shooting them down.
