NATO member countries dispatched fighter jets for the third consecutive day following an intrusion of a drone into alliance airspace.
Military aircraft were mobilized in Lithuania while neighboring Latvia’s armed forces also reported a drone breaching the country’s airspace.
Lithuania’s military disclosed that their jets were on a mission to locate two drones. Additionally, Latvian authorities reported a separate incident of a drone violating their airspace, with security forces confirming the threat had been neutralized without elaborate details.
Responding to the drone sighting over Lithuania, NATO Baltic air policing mission aircraft swiftly reacted, marking the third alert in as many days. The origin of the drone remains unknown.
In Latvia, residents in the affected regions were advised to stay indoors and adhere to the “two-walls rule” to minimize exposure to potential blasts. The country’s armed forces reinforced air defense capabilities along the eastern border by deploying extra units.
Situated on NATO’s eastern frontier, Latvia shares borders with Russia and Belarus, positioning it in close proximity to the conflict in Ukraine.
Recently, Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone assaults on Russia, extending to the Baltic Sea area, where multiple Ukrainian military drones have encroached upon the airspace of NATO members Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
Kyiv has expressed regret over these incursions, attributing them to Russian interference with guidance signals, leading to drone misdirection across borders. Conversely, Moscow alleges that Ukraine exploits NATO airspace to mask its attacks on Russia, contentions refuted by Kyiv, NATO, and the Baltic states.
The Latvian armed forces cautioned on social media that as long as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine persists, there remains a risk of further instances where foreign unmanned aerial vehicles breach or approach Latvian airspace.
A military spokesperson confirmed that one drone had crossed into Latvia from Belarus, while the government resigned recently due to its handling of prior Ukrainian drone intrusions, with discussions ongoing regarding a new governmental cabinet.
Meanwhile, a Romanian F-16 jet, part of the NATO air policing contingent in the Baltics, reportedly engaged a suspected Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia.
A similar airspace violation in Lithuania led to the suspension of air traffic to its capital on Wednesday, prompting legislators to seek refuge underground.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson remarked on Ukraine’s efforts to prevent its drones from straying into friendly territories, citing jamming and other interferences as potential factors, during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
