Latvia’s defense sector is not prepared to force down or shoot down foreign drones, former commander of the National Armed Forces of Latvia (NBS) and former Air Force commander Juris Maklakovs told the LETA news agency while commenting on the recent drone incidents in Latgale.
Maklakovs emphasized that the war in Ukraine has now entered its fifth year and that the role and threat posed by drones has been discussed for several years. During this same period, Latvia’s defense sector has publicly claimed that Latvia is a “drone superpower.”
Given these circumstances, Maklakovs believes the necessary level of anti-drone defense capability has not been achieved.
“Publicly available information suggests that three drones entered Latvia on Thursday. But what will happen and how will we react if ten drones enter? Not to mention several dozen or a hundred drones,” Maklakovs asked rhetorically.
The expert also believes Latvia lacks the necessary legal framework to respond more actively
to such incidents, including deploying mobile groups capable of neutralizing drones.
He further suggested that such units could include members of the Latvian National Guard and border guards. At the same time, he stressed that the creation of such groups would require proper training and equipping them with anti-drone systems.
In concluding his comments, Maklakovs stressed that there is no clear end in sight to the war in Ukraine and that both sides continue to expand their use of drones. Considering this, Latvia must be prepared for a possible increase in drone-related incidents.
As previously reported by the LETA news agency, several unmanned aerial vehicles entered Latvian airspace from Russia early Thursday morning, with at least one crashing in Rēzekne and damaging a fuel storage facility. The NBS also has information about another crashed drone, although its exact location remains unknown.
At the request of the NBS, the State Fire and Rescue Service of Latvia (VUGD) issued emergency cell broadcast warnings at 4:09 a.m. in Ludza Municipality and Balvi Municipality, and at 4:43 a.m. in Rēzekne Municipality. Around 8:30 a.m., the armed forces announced that the threat had ended.
The NBS reminded the public that as long as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues, incidents involving foreign drones entering or approaching Latvian airspace may continue to occur.
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