Latvia confirms Russian Shahed drone armed with explosive crashed on its territory
Editor's note: This article was updated following the press conference held by the Latvian Defense Ministry on the afternoon of Sept. 9.
A Russian Shahed-type drone equipped with an explosive crashed in Latvia on Sept. 7, Latvia's Defense Ministry confirmed during a press conference on Sept. 9.
The Latvian Defense Ministry previously said in a statement on Sept. 8 that a suspected Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had crashed in eastern Latvia the day before.
This is the first confirmed case of a Russian drone crashing on Latvian soil.
Lieutenant General Leonids Kalnins, the commander-in-chief of the Latvian Armed Forces, said on Sept. 9 that the drone was heading towards a target in Ukraine before it entered Latvia via Belarus.
The drone eventually crashed in Gaigalava parish in Rezekne district, 85 kilometers (52 miles) northwest of the Belarusian border, Kalnins said.
The explosive that the drone was carrying did not detonate on impact, but was deactivated by Latvian personnel.
Latvia is now conducting an in-depth analysis of the drone's components.
Asami Terajima"The incident has been brought to the attention of the relevant government officials, law enforcement authorities, and NATO countries in the region," the Latvian Defense Ministry said.
"The National Armed Forces detected the UAV entering Latvian territory, monitored its movement, and located the crash site. The investigation is ongoing."
According to Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds, the incident "confirms that we need to continue strengthening Latvia's eastern border."
The news from Latvia comes as another case of Russian drones violating the airspace of NATO countries during mass aerial attacks against Ukraine.
Latvia's NATO partner, Romania, also reported on a Russian drone entering its territory on Sept. 8.
There have also been multiple recorded cases of Russian Shahed-type drones veering off course toward Belarus during attacks on Ukraine, with some even being reportedly shot down by Belarusian aircraft.
Russian drones have previously crashed in Romania and its non-NATO neighbor, Moldova. Other drones and missiles have also violated the Polish airspace on several occasions, and a stray Ukrainain air defense missile launched to intercept a Russian attack killed two Polish citizens in 2022.
Both Romania and Latvia said that there is no indication that the drones entered their airspace on purpose. NATO has repeatedly condemned Russia for violating the airspace of its members, but no steps to intercept Russian projectiles have been taken.
The allies have also resisted calls to shoot down Russian drones and missiles over Ukrainian airspace, fearing it would be seen as a direct involvement in the war.
