Drone shot down over Latvia had flown in from Belarus, - country’s Ministry of Defence
The drone shot down last week by NATO fighter jets in Latvia had entered the country’s airspace from neighbouring Belarus.
Latvian Defence Minister Raivis Melnis made these remarks on Latvian television, as reported by LSM, according to Censor.NET.
What the minister said
According to Melnis, the origin of the drone remains unclear, and experts are still examining its parts. At the same time, the minister gave assurances that drones entering Latvian airspace would continue to be shot down, as this is a matter of national security.
"There are risks associated with drones entering (Latvian airspace — ed.). Ukraine, in self-defence, continues to carry out drone strikes on Russian territory, whilst Russia is taking countermeasures," he said.
It was probably a Ukrainian drone that attacked targets on Russian territory and was knocked off course by Russian electronic warfare systems, the broadcaster adds.
On border protection
The Defence Minister acknowledged that there are currently not enough systems and radars along Latvia’s borders to counter UAVs. However, Melnis reiterated the plan to deploy Latvian-made equipment along the entire border with Russia and Belarus by the end of September.
According to him, on the same day he met with representatives of the National Armed Forces to review the current situation and assess whether any adjustments to the plan were required.
Context
- In the early hours of 14 August, NATO fighter jets shot down an unidentified drone that had violated Latvian airspace. As a result, air raid alerts were issued in several parts of the country, and Finland temporarily restricted air and maritime traffic in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland.
