A May 7 drone incursion prompted an urgent meeting on May 11, raising questions about air defenses and whether leadership will face consequences.
Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Siliņa announced the invitation of Defense Minister Andris Sprūds due to the incident with drones that entered Latvian airspace. It happened on May 8; the meeting is scheduled for May 11.
“The situation in addressing drone-related issues is unsatisfactory.”
– Evika Siliņa
Timeline of events and government response
Earlier Sprūds, in an interview with Latvian television, acknowledged the validity of criticism directed at the Ministry of Defense in connection with the drones that entered Latvia’s airspace on the night of May 7 and were not shot down.
He acknowledged that drones should be shot down, and this is the responsibility of the leadership of the armed forces and his role as a political leader.
Sprūds expressed willingness to respect the Saeima’s decision regarding his probable resignation.
At the same time, the defense minister described drone shootdowns as problematic, citing as evidence that over the past year there has been only one such incident – when a fighter jet shot down a drone in Poland.
In the morning of May 7, two drones fell in Latvia, having flown in from the direction of Russia. In particular, one of them hit an empty oil reservoir, causing a fire. The Latvian government summoned the temporary chargé d’affaires of Russia to deliver a note of protest in connection with the incident.
The Latvian government emphasizes that airspace security remains a priority, and further steps to strengthen defense and coordination with allies will be taken at the highest level.