A Russian military drone crashed near the city of Rezekne in eastern Latvia on Saturday.
The crash happened approximately 50 kilometers (about 31 miles) from the borders with Belarus and Russia, according to Latvia's Ministry of Defense and Ziare.
The incident, reported on Sunday, has raised security concerns as the war in Ukraine continues.
Latvian authorities, including the police, are investigating the crash. Preliminary findings suggest that the drone, identified as an unmanned military aerial vehicle from the Russian Federation, entered Latvian airspace from Belarus. Latvia's National Armed Forces confirmed the breach and tracked the drone's path before it crashed.
Will Stay Vigilant
Latvia's Foreign Minister, Baiba Braze, currently on a diplomatic trip to South Korea, addressed the incident on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
She confirmed that a representative from the Russian embassy in Riga has been summoned to Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to discuss the matter.
"We have informed our NATO allies and EU leaders about this incident. Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine requires us to stay vigilant," Braze stated. She also noted that a similar incident occurred in Romania on the same day.
The Latvian Ministry of Defense emphasized that the drone's intrusion took place in NATO airspace, highlighting the security implications for the alliance. Military systems detected the drone's entry and monitored its movement until the crash site was identified.
