French Jet on NATO Mission Shoots Down Drone in Latvian Airspace
The interception follows repeated drone incursions in the Baltic states, and residents in two districts were told to seek shelter, officials said.
- On Monday morning, French NATO jets shot down a drone in Latvia, the military confirmed, marking the first successful interception of a drone in Latvian airspace according to the Baltic news website Delfi.
- Repeated drone entries have occurred in the airspace of Estonia and Lithuania, prompting residents of the Ludza district to receive orange air threat alerts on their phones advising them to seek shelter.
- Latvia faced a political crisis in early May after two Ukrainian drones entered its airspace from Russia, and the ruling coalition collapsed soon afterward as the country faced intensifying border security pressures.
- Authorities have previously claimed the drones strayed due to Russian electronic warfare; Russia, in turn, accused the Baltic states of allowing them to use their airspace for attacks on Russian regions.
- Former Defense Minister Andris Sprkds resigned following criticism regarding the military's inability to ensure national security, while the nationality of the drone shot down on Monday remains undisclosed by officials.
39 Articles
39 Articles
This was the first time the alliance's rapid reaction Baltic Air Policing mission has shot down a drone in Latvia.
French NATO Rafale fighters shot down a drone wandering through Latvian airspace this Monday. The fall of the aircraft caused no damage.
NATO shot down drone over Latvia. Russia’s electronic warfare sent it there
NATO fighters from the Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle over Latvia's Latgale region this morning, after the drone entered Latvian airspace as a result of Russian electronic warfare action, the Latvian Ministry of Defense says. It is the most direct documented NATO engagement of a drone over Latvian territory tied to Russia's war against Ukraine to date. The shoot-down comes against a backdrop of repeated d…
This is the latest incident of its kind along Europe's eastern borders. French Air Force Rafale fighter jets shot down a drone on Monday, June 8, after it entered the airspace of Latvia, a NATO member. The Latvian military, without specifying who had launched the drone, stated that it [...]
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