During the night leading into Friday, a cell broadcast warning about a possible airspace threat was once again issued in the municipalities of Rēzekne, Balvi, Ludza and Krāslava. The threat in the border region’s airspace has now ended, according to Latvia’s National Armed Forces (NBS).
The National Armed Forces announced on social media that NATO Baltic air policing mission fighter jets had been activated.
“Together with NATO allies, the NBS continuously monitors the airspace to ensure the capability to respond immediately to potential threats. The NBS has strengthened air defence capabilities along the eastern border by deploying additional units,” the armed forces stated on the “112.lv” website, stressing that while Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues, similar incidents involving foreign unmanned aerial vehicles approaching or entering Latvian airspace remain possible.
In Rēzekne, the learning process and the work of municipal institutions will continue as usual on Friday, the municipality confirmed to the LETA news agency.
Initially, the municipality had announced that due to the possible airspace threat, classes in all educational institutions had been cancelled. Officials also noted that a separate decision regarding work organisation would be made once the threat ended.
City Mayor Jānis Tutins (“Kopā Latvijai”/LPV) told LETA that, given the end of the threat, all institutions are operating normally. He added that he had no additional information about what may have happened overnight.
Before the warning was lifted, the Ludza municipality announced that classes in all educational institutions across the district had been cancelled. At the same time, schools and kindergartens would provide childcare services if necessary. The municipality also stated that local government institutions would work remotely.
Meanwhile, the Krāslava municipality announced that schools would switch to remote learning, while kindergartens would open after the alert had been lifted. Municipal institutions were also instructed to operate in remote standby mode, local authorities reported early Friday morning.
Due to the possible airspace threat declared overnight in the border region, trains on the Zilupe–Riga and Indra–Riga routes were delayed, according to information published by AS “Pasažieru vilciens” (PV), operating under the “Vivi” brand.
The train from Zilupe departing at 3:31 a.m. and scheduled to arrive in Riga at 7:59 a.m. was delayed by slightly more than three hours, while the Indra–Riga train departing at 5:25 a.m. and due in Riga at 8:59 a.m. was delayed by approximately 75 minutes.
Residents of Latgale have received similar cell broadcast alerts several times over recent months. These incidents have most likely been linked to drones involved in the Russia–Ukraine war approaching or entering Latvian airspace.
On several occasions, such drones have also exploded on Latvian territory, including most recently a week ago at a little-used oil depot in Rēzekne.
No injuries have been reported in any of these incidents so far. However, the latest case in Rēzekne ultimately led first to the resignation of the defence minister and later to the collapse of the government of Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity).
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