There is currently no evidence that the drone that crashed in Latgale, equipped with a warhead, was deliberately directed toward Latvia, Brigadier General Egils Leščinskis, Deputy Chief of Operations at the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces (NBS), told journalists on Wednesday.
The general also noted that the drone, which was powered by an internal combustion engine, was flying at a relatively low altitude, which explains why it was not detected by major radar systems.
Leščinskis declined to speculate on the drone’s country of origin and said he cannot confirm whether it was Russian or Ukrainian. “At present, there is no evidence that this was a specifically organised operation by Russia,” he stressed.
Following the explosion, the drone broke apart and its components were scattered across the area. Military and internal security services are currently engaged in collecting the debris.
As previously reported,
the drone that entered Latvian airspace overnight exploded in the Krāslava region,
approximately one kilometre from the centre of Svariņi parish, according to Aivars Belkovskis, the municipality’s civil protection coordinator.
The incident occurred about one kilometre from Svariņi, with the nearest inhabited settlement located approximately 300–400 metres from the explosion site.
The Air Force had earlier identified an unmanned aerial vehicle entering Latvian airspace from Russia. Early warning systems detected a sound resembling an explosion in the Krāslava region.
Drone debris has been found at the scene, where units of the National Armed Forces, State Police, and State Border Guard are currently operating.
The Ministry of Defence has stated that no further threat to civilians or Latvian airspace security has been identified. No injuries have been reported, and no damage to civilian infrastructure has occurred.
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