Several drones cross into Latvian airspace overnight, NATO jets scramble
Latvia's armed forces said several drones crossed or approached its airspace overnight, triggering air-raid alerts and NATO fighter patrols.
Several drones crossed into or approached Latvian airspace overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday, triggering a series of across multiple regions, Latvia's National Armed Forces (NBS) said. Fighter jets from NATO's Baltic air-policing mission scrambled to track the aircraft, naval captain Seldzis Grasmanis told Latvian Radio.
The alerts began shortly after 2am in Ludza district, where two drones were reported to have entered Latvian territory, Grasmanis said. A separate warning was issued in Kraslava and Augsdaugava districts over a target approaching from Belarus that did not reach Latvian territory, while a warning in Balvi district covered three targets that turned north into Russia without crossing the border.
One drone, accompanied by NATO fighters, crossed Latvia from the Lithuanian border, passing through the districts of Jekabpils, Madona, Cesis, Gulbene and Smiltene before leaving Latvian airspace near Ape and entering Estonia, Grasmanis said. Warnings in the affected districts were raised from a lower "yellow" alert to the highest "orange" level, under which residents are told to go indoors and follow the "two walls" principle, before being lifted by about 3:30am.
Earlier in the night, NBS had also issued separate warnings in Ludza, Augsdaugava and Kraslava districts that lasted roughly an hour to ninety minutes; the force did not specify afterwards whether the aircraft involved had left Latvian airspace, never entered it, crashed, or been shot down. NBS did not give further detail on the drones' origin or whether any had been shot down overnight, and said a repeat of such incidents is possible while Russia's war in Ukraine continues. Lithuania had earlier reported drones entering its own airspace, including one that left Lithuanian territory heading towards Latvia.
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What we know
- Several drones crossed into or approached Latvian airspace overnight, triggering alerts in multiple districts, NBS said.
- One drone was escorted by NATO fighter jets as it crossed five Latvian districts before leaving via Estonia.
- A separate target approaching from Belarus did not reach Latvian territory; three targets near Balvi turned into Russia without crossing the border.
- The highest-level alerts were lifted by about 3:30am after warnings in the last affected districts ended.
Not yet confirmed
- Whether the aircraft involved in the earlier Ludza, Augšdaugava and Kraslava warnings left Latvian airspace, never entered it, crashed or were shot down has not been confirmed.
Why it matters for Europe
Latvia borders both Russia and Belarus, and alerts its population directly whenever aircraft approach its airspace, reflecting NATO's heightened concern about drone incursions along its since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The incident adds to a string of reported by Baltic states in recent months, each prompting fighter jets to intercept or track the intruding aircraft, and follows Lithuania's own reports of drones entering its territory the same night. Such incidents have become a near-routine test of NATO's air-policing response on the alliance's eastern flank.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Jauns.lv: Trauksmaina nakts Latvijā: iedzīvotāji saņem brīdinājumus, gaisā paceļas NATO iznīcinātāji. NBS paziņo, kāda ir situācija šobrīd
- Latvijas Avīze: Naktī Latvijai pietuvojās vairāki droni! NBS atklāj, cik daudz to bija un kur tie lidoja
- Diena: Naktī Latviju šķērsojuši vai tai pietuvojušies vairāki droni
- Apollo.lv: Naktī Latviju šķērsojuši vai tai pietuvojušies vairāki droni
- TVNET: Naktī Latviju šķērsojuši vai tai pietuvojušies vairāki droni, skaidro NBS
Source balance
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Intelligence file
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Confidence and impact scores, 2 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Questions and answers
- What happened in Latvia's airspace overnight?
- Several drones crossed into or approached Latvian territory, triggering alerts in multiple districts and prompting NATO fighter jets to scramble, Latvia's armed forces said.
- Were any drones shot down?
- Latvia's National Armed Forces did not say whether any aircraft were intercepted or shot down.
- Has this happened before in the Baltic states?
- Yes. Lithuania reported drones entering its airspace the same night, including one that then approached Latvia.
This article was written with AI assistance from 7 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.