There is currently no basis to claim that Latvia is more threatened than before, said Sigita Struberga, Secretary General of the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation, in an interview on the Latvian Television programme “Rīta panorāma.”
She explained that the possible drone approach to Latvian territory on Tuesday has not altered the country’s security situation, noting that residents have already been warned that such incidents may occur.
Such incidents are likely to continue, she predicted. “Given the situation in Russian territory, we see that Ukrainians have been relatively successful in striking Russian energy infrastructure, which is significant for Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor. We are also observing activity in Belarus,” she added.
As previously reported, on Monday evening the Latvian armed forces detected a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle near the Latvia–Russia border, in the vicinity of Ludza Municipality and Balvi Municipality. To promptly inform residents, cell broadcast alerts were activated in the affected regions.
The drone did not enter Latvian airspace.
Once it moved away from the border, a follow-up message was sent via the alert system announcing the end of the threat.
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 information—urging residents of Balvi and Ludza municipalities not to approach any low-flying, suspicious, or potentially dangerous objects and instead call emergency number 112—was also published on the 112 Latvija app and the website 112.lv, although the website was temporarily unavailable later.
So far, the type of aircraft has not been identified, Defence Minister Andris Sprūds said in an interview on TV3’s “900 sekundes.” He noted that information about the incident is still being gathered and that there had also been “active and intensive movement” on the Estonian side.
The specific object that approached Latvian airspace has not yet been identified and remains under assessment.
Commenting on the use of cell broadcast alerts, Sprūds acknowledged that this likely reflects public expectations. He added that authorities are still seeking the right balance regarding when such alerts should be issued, noting that initial threat information is not always precise—what appears to be a drone could, for example, turn out to be a flock of birds or another harmless object.
It was also reported that last week drones entered and exploded in all three Baltic states. These were most likely aimed at targets in Russia as Ukraine defends itself against Russian aggression but were diverted off course or disrupted by electronic warfare.
In Latvia, a drone entered the country’s airspace from Russia during the night into Wednesday and exploded in Krāslava Municipality, about one kilometre from the centre of Svariņi parish. Another drone briefly entered from Belarusian territory before heading toward Russia.
The incidents have sparked public debate over the need for timely alerts 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.
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