Latvian authorities on Thursday instructed residents to seek shelter and scrambled NATO fighter jets following a drone sighting, a day after a similar threat forced thousands of people in neighbouring Lithuania to take cover.
Ukraine's Drone Campaign Intensifies
Ukraine has in recent months stepped up its long-range drone attacks on Russia, including via the Baltic Sea, and several Ukrainian military drones have strayed into the airspace of NATO members Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
'We confirm that there is at least one unmanned aircraft in Latvian airspace,' the Latvian Armed Forces wrote on X. One drone was confirmed to have crossed into Latvia from Belarus but its current whereabouts were not known, a military spokesperson told broadcaster Latvian Television.
The Latvian government resigned last week over its handling of the incursions, and talks are ongoing on appointing a new cabinet. The armed forces in a statement told residents in eastern Latvia, bordering Russia and Belarus, to seek shelter indoors until further notice.
NATO Response and Interceptions
On Tuesday a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over neighbouring Estonia, while a similar airspace violation in Lithuania on Wednesday halted air traffic to its capital and forced its lawmakers to take shelter underground. Tuesday's events marked the first interception of a foreign drone in the airspace of a Baltic state by NATO since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the drone was first detected by Latvia before it was shot down by a Romanian F-16 stationed in Lithuania. Debris from the drone was reported near Poltsamaa in central Estonia. Pevkur said he had been in contact with his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykhailo Fedorov, who 'apologised' after the incident, which happened as NATO 'Spring Storm 2026' exercises are being held in Estonia this week. 'Estonia did not grant any authorisation to use its airspace' and 'the Ukrainians did not ask for such authorisation,' he told a news conference.
Lithuania's Shelter Order
Wednesday's alarm in Lithuania was the first in an EU and NATO member country since the war in Ukraine began to trigger an order for the population - including the president, prime minister and MPs - to take shelter. Political leaders were ushered into bunkers following a drone alert last year, but not the general population.
Lithuania's allies rallied around the country on Wednesday, with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen saying Russia and Belarus bore 'direct responsibility' for any drone incidents on the bloc's eastern flank. NATO chief Mark Rutte added that even if the drones crash-landing in Baltic countries were launched by Ukraine, it was not the country's fault. '(The drones) are there because of the reckless, illegal, full-scale attack of Russia,' he said.
The alert came at around 10.20am local time on mobile phones: 'Air raid alert! Go immediately to a shelter or a safe place, take care of your family members and wait for further instructions.' Immediately, in offices and apartment buildings, civilians went down into basements or designated shelters.
International Reactions
Speaking of the situation in Latvia on Thursday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: 'They (Ukraine) certainly don't want their drones to end up on friendly territory for obvious reasons.' 'Sometimes it's a matter of jamming. Sometimes it's a matter of other disturbances,' he told a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The Baltic states, all strong backers of Ukraine, have blamed the incidents on Moscow, saying it redirects Ukrainian drones from their intended targets in Russia, but without providing evidence for the claims. The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was monitoring the situation. It has previously accused the Baltic states of letting Ukraine launch drones from their territory, a claim which they and NATO strongly deny.
Poland's defence minister on Thursday said Ukraine must be very precise when using drones to avoid giving Russia the opportunity to interfere with their flight path.
