Latvia 'forgot' about ammunition when buying anti-drone systems — new PM reveals strange incident
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Latvian authorities previously acquired anti-drone systems without the necessary ammunition, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said, as reported by the Baltic news outlet Delfi on Aug. 12.
"They purchased the equipment, but forgot to buy the ammunition," Kulbergs said in an interview on the Leta news agency's program published earlier this week.
Kulbergs mentioned the incident during a discussion about drone incursions and the work of former Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds.
However, the prime minister did not disclose further details about the types of systems or agencies involved, declining to confirm whether he was indeed referring to those procured under Spruds.
The Kyiv Independent has reached out to Spruds for comment.
Spruds, from the Progressives party, stepped down on May 10 after then-Prime Minister Evika Silina said the defense chief "failed to fulfill its promise of safe skies" over Latvia when two Ukrainian drones strayed into the country's airspace.
Ukrainian drones originally intended to strike inside Russia have previously entered Baltic countries, as Moscow redirects their trajectory to neighboring NATO countries through jamming. The first major incident was recorded in Finland in March.
Spruds said that through his resignation he wished "to protect the Latvian army from being dragged into a political campaign."
The resignation triggered the Progressives' exit from the government and the collapse of Silina's cabinet. Spruds's party is currently the main opposition ahead of Latvia's parliamentary elections set for Oct. 3.
In the interview, Kulbergs also revealed that a new unified system involving the Latvian Defense Ministry and the Border Guard will benefit from Ukraine's expertise in drone monitoring and threat neutralization, saying that Latvia currently holds "no real substance" behind its claims of being a great power in the drone field.
