Latvia issues drone warning/NATO fighter jets take off

2026-05-21 16:02:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Latvia's armed forces said a drone had entered its airspace and that NATO fighter jets had been scrambled to counter the threat, the latest in a series of similar incidents related to security in the Baltic region.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russia with long-range drones, including over the Baltic Sea, while several Ukrainian military drones have mistakenly entered the airspace of NATO member states such as Finland and Latvia.

"We confirm that there is at least one unidentified aircraft in Latvian airspace," the Latvian Armed Forces said in a post on the social media platform "X".

A drone has been confirmed to have entered Latvia from Belarus, but its current location is unknown, a military spokesman said.

Latvia's government was ousted last week over its failure to address airspace violations, and talks to name a new government are underway.

Baltic states blame Moscow

On Tuesday, a NATO fighter jet shot down a drone believed to be Ukrainian over neighboring Estonia, while a similar violation of Lithuanian airspace on Wednesday resulted in the suspension of flights to its capital and forced the political leadership, its parliamentarians and Vilnius residents to take shelter in underground shelters.

"The Ukrainians certainly don't want their drones to end up on friendly soil for obvious reasons," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said today.

"Sometimes it's interference. Sometimes it's other concerns ," he said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The Baltic states, all staunch supporters of Ukraine, have blamed Moscow for the incidents, claiming it redirected Ukrainian drones from their original targets in Russia, but have not provided evidence for their claims.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was monitoring the situation. It has previously accused the Baltic states of allowing Ukraine to launch drones from their territory, a claim that both they and NATO have vehemently denied.

Poland's defense minister said on Wednesday that Ukraine must be particularly careful when using drones to avoid giving Russia the opportunity to interfere in its flight paths.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that Russian threats against the Baltic states were "unacceptable" and would be seen as threats to the entire European Union. /CNA