The type of aircraft that approached Latvian airspace from the Russian side on Monday evening remains unknown, Defence Minister Andris Sprūds said in an interview on TV3’s programme “900 sekundes.”
He noted that information about the incident is still being compiled and that “there has also been active and intensive movement on the Estonian side.” However, the specific object that approached Latvia’s airspace has not been identified, and the available data is still under evaluation.
The minister reiterated that it is not easy to precisely determine the nature of a flying object detected on radar. Based on certain parameters, similarities can be identified, making it likely that the object was a drone, but its origin cannot be confirmed. Therefore, it can only be assumed that the aircraft may be linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine. He did not rule out the possibility that it could have been a Ukrainian drone launched in legitimate self-defence against Russian attacks, though he stressed that such conclusions remain speculative.
Commenting on the activation of cell broadcast alerts, Sprūds acknowledged that this likely reflects public expectations. Authorities are still seeking the right balance in deciding when such alerts should be issued. He added that initial threat information is not always precise—it is possible that what appears to be a drone could, for instance, be a flock of birds or another harmless object.
As previously reported,
on Monday evening the Latvian armed forces detected a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle near the Latvia–Russia border,
close to Ludza Municipality and Balvi Municipality. To ensure rapid public notification, cell broadcast alerts were activated in the affected regions.
The aircraft did not enter Latvian airspace. After it moved away from the border, a follow-up alert was issued informing residents that the threat had ended.
Several residents of Balvi Municipality confirmed to LETA that they received both the initial warning and the all-clear message on their mobile phones.
Initial warnings—advising residents of Ludza and Balvi municipalities not to approach low-flying, suspicious, or potentially dangerous objects and to call emergency number 112—were also published on the 112 Latvija and the website 112.lv, although the site was temporarily unavailable later.
It was also reported that last week drones entered and exploded in all three Baltic states.
Most likely, these were aimed at targets in Russia as Ukraine defends itself against Russian aggression but were diverted or disrupted by electronic warfare.
In Latvia, one drone entered national airspace from Russia during the night into Wednesday and exploded in Krāslava Municipality, about one kilometre from the centre of Svariņi parish. Another briefly entered from Belarusian territory before heading toward Russia.
These incidents have sparked public debate about the need for timely warnings to residents via cell broadcast systems. The State Fire and Rescue Service has stated that a standard alert message for airspace threats has already been prepared.
Read also: Russia launches information attack against the Baltics, ministry warns
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