Latvia says drones entered airspace from Russia, 1 may have crashed near oil facility
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Editor's note: The headline on this article originally stated that "Russian drones" had entered Latvian airspace, rather than that "drones from Russia" had entered Latvian airspace. The article itself was correct, as at the time of publication, officials had not yet confirmed what type of drones had entered Latvian airspace or who had launched them.
Several drones entered Latvian airspace from Russia early on May 7, with one of them crashing near an oil storage facility in the eastern city of Rezekne near the Russian border, Latvia's National Armed Forces (NBS) reported.
One drone may have crashed at the oil facility, while authorities are still searching for the second, Deputy Police Chief Andris Zellis told Latvian Television, according to the Latvian news outlet Delfi. Officials have not yet confirmed what type of drones entered Latvian airspace or who launched them.
Latvian officials said on May 7 that the drones were not shot down because authorities could not guarantee the safety of civilians and infrastructure, and that more details would become clear after the investigation is completed.
"The aircraft were identified on radar, but they could not be shot down because there was no certainty that civilians or infrastructure would not be harmed," Egils Lescinskis, deputy chief of operations at Latvia's Joint Staff, said at a press conference in Rezekne.
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said several criteria must be met before authorities can decide to shoot down a drone, especially in populated areas.
Russian drones and missiles have repeatedly violated the airspace of Latvia and other NATO members during strikes on Ukraine.
