A drone escorted by NATO fighter jets over Latvia last night could not be shot down because “appropriate operational conditions” had not been met, according to a statement issued to the media by the National Armed Forces (NBS).
The military recalled that three unmanned aerial vehicles entered Latvian airspace during the night of the 11th of November. Two briefly crossed the country’s eastern border for one to two minutes, while the third flew across Latvian territory from south to north.
At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, an airspace threat warning was issued in Ludza Municipality after two unmanned aerial vehicles briefly entered Latvian airspace.
Shortly afterwards, potential threat warnings were also issued in Krāslava and Augšdaugava municipalities in response to another unmanned aerial vehicle approaching Latvia’s border from Belarus.
The threat level was subsequently raised in Krāslava Municipality, while a potential threat remained in Augšdaugava Municipality. The aircraft did not enter Latvian airspace.
As the situation changed, the threat levels in Ludza and Krāslava municipalities were lowered, and all warnings in the three municipalities were cancelled after midnight.
At approximately 1 a.m., a potential airspace threat was announced in Balvi Municipality, where the alert level was subsequently raised.
The warnings were related to three unmanned aerial vehicles approaching Latvia’s border. The aircraft did not enter Latvian airspace but changed direction and continued northwards over Russian territory. The airspace threat warning was therefore cancelled.
At approximately 2:30 a.m., a potential airspace threat was announced in Aizkraukle Municipality, where the alert level was soon raised.
At the same time, potential threats were also announced in Jēkabpils and Madona municipalities.
The warnings were linked to a single unmanned aerial vehicle that had entered Latvian airspace from Lithuania.
At approximately 3 a.m., as the drone continued flying through Latvian airspace, the threat level was raised in Madona Municipality, and a warning was also issued in Cēsis Municipality.
Meanwhile, the warnings in Jēkabpils and Aizkraukle municipalities were cancelled.
The threat warning in Madona Municipality was subsequently lifted, while potential threats were announced in Smiltene and Gulbene municipalities.
The alert levels in both municipalities were later raised, while the warning in Cēsis Municipality was cancelled.
After the unmanned aerial vehicle left Latvian airspace, the warnings in Smiltene and Gulbene municipalities were also lifted.
In response to the threat posed by this drone, fighter jets participating in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission had already been scrambled in Lithuania and continued their response operations while the aircraft was flying through Latvian airspace.
According to the NBS, the appropriate operational conditions for destroying the unmanned aerial vehicle had not been met in this particular situation, with the safety of civilians also taken into consideration.
The drone left Latvian airspace and continued flying towards Estonia, where contact with it was subsequently lost by airspace surveillance sensors.
The NBS, in cooperation with NATO allies, will assess the events of the previous night, including the detection of airspace threats, information sharing and the response measures implemented.
The assessment will aim to identify possible improvements for handling similar situations in the future.
Currently, NBS interceptor drone units are stationed only along Latvia’s eastern border.
The NBS, together with NATO allies, continues to monitor Latvian airspace and remains prepared to respond to potential threats.
The armed forces urge residents to follow official announcements and comply with instructions issued by the responsible authorities.
Anyone who notices a suspicious unmanned aerial vehicle, an unidentified object or its debris is advised not to approach or touch it and to report it immediately by calling the emergency number 112.
The NBS warns that as long as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues, incidents involving foreign drones approaching or entering Latvian airspace may occur again.
This year, residents in Latgale and Vidzeme have repeatedly received cell broadcast warnings about potential airspace threats.
Several drones have also crashed and exploded in Latvia. In one incident, a drone was shot down, while in another, a drone crashed on its own.
These drone incidents have most likely involved aircraft connected to the Russia-Ukraine war approaching or entering Latvian airspace.
In some cases, the drones did not enter Latvian airspace at all, and warnings were issued primarily as a precautionary measure.
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