RIGA (dpa-AFX) – Several drones crashed in Latvia, which, according to the military, had flown from Russia into the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO country. According to the armed forces, two unmanned aerial vehicles fell in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia on Thursday night. Military, police and fire brigade units are on site. There were initially no reports of injuries. It initially remained unclear whether the drones were Russian or Ukrainian. However, the incidents coincided with Ukrainian drone attacks on targets in Russia.
According to the emergency services, it is possible that one of the drones crashed into an oil depot in the town of Rezekne. Latvian television reported, citing the fire department, that no major damage was initially visible.
Latvia borders Russia and Belarus to the east. The residents of the regions near the border received cell phone warnings during the night about a possible threat to the airspace. According to the army, several drones had flown into Latvia.
Ukraine has been defending itself against the invasion of its neighbor Russia for more than four years. Flying robots have become an increasingly popular means of attack for both sides over the course of hostilities because they can be used relatively cheaply and in large numbers to overwhelm the enemy’s air defenses. The aircraft, which are often attacked with electronic jamming devices, also pose a danger to neighboring countries. In recent Ukrainian attacks, misguided drones have repeatedly flown into the airspace of the Baltic states and some have crashed after attacking targets in northwest Russia./awe/DP/zb
