Drone flies into Latvian territory from Russia and falls

The Latvian Air Force has identified a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle entering Latvian airspace from Russia, according to the National Armed Forces (NBS), the Defence Ministry reports on Wednesday morning.

Early warning systems detected a sound resembling an explosion in the Krāslava region.

Egils Leščinskis, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of the National Armed Forces, said on the Latvian Television program "Morning Panorama" that it had been a restless night for air defence units.

"At 2:19 a.m., our radars detected indications of what could be an unidentified aerial object approaching Latvian territory and crossing the state border. We also observed this on our acoustic sensors, and our air defence group was dispatched," said Leščinskis.

He noted that the object detonated at approximately 2:30 a.m. The detonation occurred near the village of Dobročina in Krāslava district.

Units from the National Armed Forces, the State Police, and the State Border Guard are at the scene. Remnants of the drone have been found at the site.

At the same time, Leščinskis said that all drone parts are being searched for so that information can be gathered and a comprehensive picture of the incident can be obtained.

Leščinskis noted that the manufacturer and country of origin of the object have not yet been identified.

Leščinskis also said that this was not the only incident that night – around 12:50 a.m., sensors detected an object that had flown in from the Belarusian side of the border and made a turn, entering from Belarus and then exiting into Russia.

When asked whether he believed this was a coordinated action by the two aggressor states, Leščinskis said that most likely not.

"The aircraft most likely veered off course or was affected by electromagnetic warfare measures protecting some technically important objects," Leščinskis noted. He added later in a press briefing that this drone contained explosives and had detonated.

When asked whether residents can feel safe, Leščinskis said: "This incident already shows that none of us can feel completely safe when military operations are taking place in neighbouring countries. We are, unfortunately, a neighbouring country, and no one can guarantee complete safety under such circumstances."

Colonel Arvis Zīle, head of the State Crisis Management Centre, said in a press briefing on Wednesday morning that similar events have occurred in countries bordering Russia and Ukraine and there is no guarantee they won't happen again. "This is not a nationwide crisis but a separate incident," he said.

Zīle emphasised that civilians should reread materials on crisis action on the website sargs.lv so that everyone is individually ready in case something happens.

No further threat to the safety of civilians or Latvian airspace has been identified.

No civilians were injured, and no damage was caused to civilian infrastructure. An investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway. The Krāslava Municipality has been informed of the incident.

Estonian incident, too

Meanwhile, ERR News in Tallinn reports that a drone crossed from Russia into Estonian territory – also on Wednesday morning – and hit a chimney at the Auvere power station in Ida-Viru County.

No one was injured in the incident, and the power infrastructure was not damaged. 

ERR News notes that the incidents happened at a time when the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga was reportedly under attack by Ukrainian drones, though no connection has been established as yet.

"On the night of March 25 at 3:43 a.m., a drone hit the chimney of the Auvere power plant. No one was injured in the accident," a spokesperson for the Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) said.

The Estonian Prosecutor's Office said the drone was not intentionally directed towards the Auvere power plant or towards Estonia generally.

"According to current information, the drone was not directed at Estonia. Initial actions are currently being taken, the investigation will clarify the more specific circumstances," said State Prosecutor General Astrid Asi via a press release.

The ISS is investigating the incident, directed by the Prosecutor's Office.

President Rinkēvičs: Drone was Ukrainian

Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs confirmed later on Wednesday that the drone was Ukrainian – this unmanned aerial vehicle was part of a coordinated Ukrainian operation against Russian targets.

The fact that drones have strayed off course and entered the territory of the Baltic states, including Latvia, confirms that we need to focus more on systems that could, within the limits of what is possible, shoot down such drones, Rinkēvičs said : "Our main task is to strengthen air defence."

The procedures for information sharing among agencies, officials, and local governments worked effectively, resulting in the timely receipt of information about the incident. Full, detailed information was available by around 4 a.m.

"The response from the agencies, the response from the communication systems, and the response from the police and border guards was adequate," commented the President.