Latvian defence minister resigns after Ukrainian drones hit oil tanks
Prime Minister Evika Silina said anti-drone systems were deployed too slowly after the incursion, and Raivis Melnis was named to replace Andris Spruds.
- On Sunday, Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds resigned, and Prime Minister Evika Silina appointed army colonel Raivis Melnis as his successor.
- The resignation followed a security incident on Thursday when two Ukrainian drones flew from Russian territory into Latvia and struck an oil storage facility.
- Earlier Sunday, Silina demanded the resignation, citing that anti-drone systems had not been deployed fast enough during the incident on Thursday.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russian electronic warfare deliberately diverted the drones, offering Friday to send experts to strengthen Baltic air security.
- Latvia and Lithuania called on NATO to boost regional air defences after the explosion at the oil storage facility, signaling urgent security concerns.
112 Articles
112 Articles
Ground zero: NATO’s drone war comes down to earth in Latvia
Latvian and Canadian troops are testing battlefield ground drones on a major NATO exercise, drawing directly on Ukrainian combat lessons as autonomous warfare rapidly evolves. The war games are unfolding amid a political crisis triggered by a wayward Ukrainian drone strike — a stark warning of how electronic warfare and unmanned systems are reshaping modern conflict.
kreiszeitung.de
In Latvia, two drones have crashed. Now, the head of government calls for the defence sector to be led by a specialist in the future.
The resignation of Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds after the drone incident sparked a backlash in Europe. Some politicians believe that responsibility for the incident should not be placed on the head of the Defense Department.
A major political spat has erupted between Latvia's governing partners less than five months before parliamentary elections. The Progressives, whose Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigned on Sunday night, have announced that Evika Silina is unfit to lead the government. However, the coalition is still holding together for now.
Russia is said to have deliberately diverted two Ukrainian drones that struck Latvia. One expert says what this means for Nato.
In Latvia, Ukrainian drones hit an oil depot after apparently being disrupted by Russian electronic warfare and taken off course. The incident shows once again how dangerous the tacitly tolerated Ukrainian drone operations over the Baltic have become. The official version of Riga was initially different as expected. After several explosions shook an oil warehouse in the Latvian border town of Rēzekne on the night of 7 to 8 May, Latvian authoriti…
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