Fighter jets operating under NATO command shot down a foreign drone over eastern Latvia on Friday, in an interception that authorities linked to Russian electronic warfare activity. According to the country’s armed forces, the unmanned aircraft was destroyed over the Balvi region by an Italian Eurofighter jet taking part in the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission.
NATO Fighter Jets Intercept and Destroy Drone Over Eastern Latvia
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said two Italian Eurofighters took off from an air base in Lithuania and two Turkish F-16s were scrambled from a base in Estonia in response to the detection. After positive identification, one of the Italian Eurofighters neutralized the threat over an unpopulated wooded area.
Latvian military spokesperson Iveta Berzina stated that the incursion was a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare, which can knock drones off course and make their flight paths unpredictable. Latvian officials did not immediately identify the origin of the drone, noting that debris recovery efforts were still underway.
Air Alerts Lifted as Regional Precautions Expand
Prior to the interception, an air raid alert was declared in several eastern and southern Latvian municipalities, including Augšdaugava, Preiļi, Rēzekne, Balvi, and Alūksne. The military urged residents to stay indoors and away from exterior walls before the alerts were lifted at 4:50 a.m. local time.
Sandra Kapteine, head of the Rugāji village administration, reported that the incident caused no casualties or property damage because the wreckage fell in a wooded area located roughly 35 kilometers from the border with Russia. Latvian National Guard servicemen gathered at the site to conduct a search operation for the debris.
The incident prompted precautionary measures beyond Latvia’s borders. Finland temporarily restricted aviation and maritime traffic in the eastern Gulf of Finland early Friday morning, though Finnish defence forces confirmed no drones entered Finnish airspace and lifted the restrictions shortly after 7 a.m. local time.
Alliance Response and Rising Eastern Flank Tensions
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs noted that the operation confirmed the protection of Latvian airspace while emphasizing the need to strengthen surveillance and anti-drone capabilities along the eastern border. Defence Minister Raivis Melnis added that the decision to shoot down the aircraft was taken to protect the local population.
Because Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania do not operate their own fighter aircraft, NATO allies rotate responsibility for policing their skies. The Italian Eurofighters involved in the operation are regularly based at Šiauliai air base in Lithuania, while Turkish F-16s operate from Ämari air base in Estonia under the direction of the Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany.
The interception marks the second time in two months that NATO has taken down a drone threat over Latvia, following a similar incident in June. Latvian defense officials warned that similar occurrences remain possible while Russian aggression in Ukraine continues, noting that cross-border aerial spillover has increased friction along the military alliance’s eastern frontier.
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