Romania and Latvia announce violations of their airspace by Russian drones

2024-09-08 22:26:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Two NATO member states said on Sunday that Russian drones violated their airspace. Romania announced that a Russian drone violated its airspace during Moscow's nighttime strikes against neighboring Ukraine. Meanwhile, Latvia announced that a Russian drone had crashed in the eastern part of the country a day earlier.

A Russian drone entered Romanian territory early Sunday as Moscow struck "civilian targets and port infrastructure" across the Danube in Ukraine, Romania's Ministry of National Defense said.

Bucharest activated F-16 fighter jets to patrol its airspace while alerting residents of two eastern regions via text messages, Romanian officials said.

Romania said it was investigating the possibility of a crash site in an uninhabited area along the border with Ukraine. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Later on Sunday, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spr?ds said a Russian drone had been shot down a day earlier near the town of Rezekne and had likely entered Latvia from neighboring Belarus.

The city of Rezekne, with more than 25,000 inhabitants, lies about 55 kilometers west of Russia and about 75 kilometers from Belarus, a close ally of the Kremlin.

While the violation of Latvian airspace appears to be a rare incident, Romania has confirmed several cases of finding drone fragments on its territory since the start of the ruk aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. The most recent case was reported in July of this year.

Mircea Geoan?, NATO's outgoing deputy secretary general and former top Romanian diplomat, said Sunday morning that the military alliance condemned Russia's violation of Romanian airspace.

"While we have no information indicating a deliberate attack by Russia against allies, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous," he wrote on social media platform X.

Latvia's military said on Sunday it had no indication that Moscow or Minsk had deliberately launched the drones towards its country. In a public statement, the Latvian military said it had identified the crash site of the drone and that investigations were continuing. Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spr?ds tried to play down the significance of the drone incursion.

"I can confirm that there are no casualties or material damage," Mr Spr?ds told Latvian Radio on Sunday, adding that any danger had been immediately eliminated. "Obviously, it is a serious incident, as it is another reminder of what neighboring countries we live near."

The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, called the incursions, as he put it, "a reminder that the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation go beyond the borders of Ukraine."

"The collective response of the allies must be maximum support for Ukraine now, to end (Russian aggression), protect lives and preserve peace in Europe," Mr. Sybiha said in a post on the X./ Voa network.