NATO Jets Shoot Down Drone Over Latvia

NATO fighter jets have shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over Latvia, in the latest incident of drones engaged in the Russia–Ukraine war straying into allied territory.

The Latvian National Armed Forces said in a June 8 statement that a jet belonging to the NATO Baltic Airspace Patrol Mission was scrambled in response to reports of a drone in its airspace and shot down a foreign UAV.

The military did not specify who had launched the drone, only that it “had flown into Latvia as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare.”

Airspace threats in the Aluksne, Balvi, Ludza, and Rezekne regions have ended, they said.

“As long as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine continues, the recurrence of cases where a foreign unmanned aircraft enters or approaches Latvian airspace is possible,” the National Armed Forces said, according to a translation of the original text.

The drone was shot down by a French military Rafale ​fighter, which is based at Siauliai Airfield in Lithuania, as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission. That mission ​has patrolled the skies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since the three Baltic nations ⁠joined NATO in 2004.

The mission also currently includes Romanian F-16 fighters, also based in Siauliai, and Portuguese F-16 fighters based in Amari, Estonia.

Drone Incidents Over NATO Territory

Military drones belonging to both Russia and Ukraine straying ​into the airspace of NATO allies have been raising concerns that the war is spilling over into the alliance’s eastern flank.

In recent months, Ukraine has increased its long-range ‌drone ⁠attacks on Russia, including in the Baltic Sea area, where several Ukrainian UAVs have unintentionally strayed into the airspace of Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Kyiv has blamed incidents of their drones crossing into allied territory on Russian forces using “electronic warfare” to interfere with the UAVs’ flight paths.

Last month, a Romanian Air Force fighter belonging to the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a suspected Ukrainian ​drone over Estonia. The Ukrainian foreign ministry said that the UAV had been redirected as a result of Russian electronic warfare.

Also in May, a Russian drone strayed into Romanian territory, crashing into an apartment building in the southeastern city of Galati. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested it might have been a stray Ukrainian UAV.

Drone Fragments Found in Moldova

Meanwhile, early on June 8, a Ukrainian drone crossed into ​Moldova near the eastern village of Lopatna. The Moldovan defense ministry said that fragments of the drone found in a field indicated “the previous occurrence of an explosion.”

Moldova is a landlocked country bordered by Ukraine and Romania and is not a member of NATO. It has supported Ukraine since the start of the war.

The Moldovan foreign ​ministry said that the drone was Ukrainian, ​but that Russia was responsible for the incident.

“Regardless of the drone’s origin, Russia—which launched an illegal war in the neighboring country—bears ​responsibility for any unmanned aerial vehicle that enters Moldovan territory,” ​the foreign ministry said.

Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Ozerov refuted the allegations and said that no evidence has ever been provided to support those claims, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

Moldova ​has ⁠dealt with numerous incidents of drone incursions or debris landing in its territory near its border with Ukraine.

On June 7, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said ​the war in Ukraine showed that her ​country needed high-technology interceptor drones. However, Moldova is defined in its constitution as a neutral state, and will need legislation to develop its arms industry, she said in a June 7 podcast.

“Those who want our country to be completely defenseless must understand that there is a ​risk that drones will fall on us and we won’t be able ​to do anything about it,” Sandu said.

“I have asked the government, particularly in the context ‌of recent ⁠events, to begin introducing or preparing legislative amendments.”

Moldova is seeking membership in the European Union, which is pushing to increase its weapons production and adopt a “peace through strength” posture to deter Russian aggression.

Reuters contributed to this report.