Drone that crashed in Latvia confirmed as Ukrainian

The authorities in Latvia have confirmed that a drone that crashed in the east of the country in the early hours of Wednesday, March 25th, was Ukrainian.

As previously reported, the drone entered Latvian airspace from Russia and was tracked by early warning systems that detected the drone's entry and recorded a sound similar to an explosion in Krāslava district. No-one were injured, and no damage was caused to civilian infrastructure.

"An unmanned aerial vehicle that entered Latvian airspace... has been identified as a drone of Ukrainian origin, based on the assessment of the wreckage found," said a statement from the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) which said investigations in concert with the State Police were continuing.

Photographs released by the NBS show pieces of bodywork, a rotor, scorched earth and a shattered tree, suggesting the drone may have hit it and crashed as a result, though this remains speculation.

Possibly the drone was intended to attack Russian targets in the Gulf of Finland and had strayed off course. A similar incident was also reported in Estonia, where a drone struck a power station chimney.

At around 17:45, the authorities said initial investigation activities at the site of the drone crash in Krāslava municipality had been completed.

"The State Police have recorded and removed the wreckage of the drone at the scene, the investigation will continue and a decision will be made on the further institutional jurisdiction of the proceedings," said a statement.