Sprūds: Latvia must build drone interception capability

It is impossible to completely seal off airspace, commented Defence Minister Andris Sprūds (Progressives) on Latvian Television (LTV) regarding the Ukrainian drone that flew in from Russia and crashed in Latvia. The minister also noted that, although Latvia has managed to improve its response capabilities in such cases, it must develop countermeasures that would allow for the interception and downing of such aircraft.

Sprūds emphasised that such incidents are a consequence of the war in Ukraine initiated by Russia, which, as the war continues, will be impossible to fully prevent. "The impact of electronic warfare on specific drones that have been sent to legitimate targets in Russia [..] has also caused them to veer off course," Sprūds said.

The minister assessed that the armed forces responded in a timely manner that night. At the same time, response capabilities remain limited.

"Overall, the response time was timely; we have also improved procedures regarding both detection and response –forces stationed along the border also headed to the scene, but it is clear that this timeframe was very limited. We’re talking about a dozen or so minutes. Consequently, this particular unit did not reach the drone. “We must take into account that, undeniably, the capabilities of our armaments and the time available are what have influenced our ability to respond effectively and to counter such drone movements effectively," Sprūds stated.

The Minister of Defence explained that the acoustic detection system deployed on the eastern border, which allows for the detection of aircraft, as well as other detection sensors, has functioned effectively. However, work still needs to be done on the more complex phase—countermeasures.

"We are building a multi-layered air defence system. It could also be called a drone wall, but it is clear that a physical wall cannot be built. This must be taken into account—it is impossible to completely seal off the airspace. Such incidents cannot be completely ruled out in the future. [..] In terms of countermeasures, these are short-range air defence systems. But what is very important, which we introduced this year and will continue to introduce, is interceptor drones. But this also takes time to be implemented and integrated into the existing system. Interceptor drones are what we are also learning from Ukraine’s experience, which are, relatively speaking, the most effective in this situation," said Sprūds.

Sprūds, who was in Kyiv at the time the drone crashed, noted that during his visit to Ukraine, he emphasised Latvia’s cooperation with the Ukrainians, specifically in the area of drone interception.

"We have agreed that Ukrainian specialists should come to our aid. The drone defence system is under construction; components are being added—acoustic detection, sensors—but the next level, which is more complex, is countermeasures. Maintaining a constant military presence along a 450-kilometre border would not be effective," the minister stated.

When asked why residents in the vicinity of the incident were not sent cell broadcast alerts, Sprūds indicated that the reason for this would be explained in the near future.

Meanwhile, Liene Gātere (Progressives), Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, stated on the LTV programme "Today’s Question" that the decision regarding the cell broadcast alert was influenced by the drone’s flight path. "We examine the circumstances of each case individually, such as the trajectory the drone is following. If the drone had been flying within the country for a longer period of time, we would have made a decision regarding cell broadcast and the public would have been informed," Gātere stated.