Air-raid alerts spread across eastern Latvia before allied aircraft made a decisive intervention near the country’s border region.
On the night of Friday, August 14, fighter jets from NATO allied countries destroyed a drone that had violated Latvian airspace. Latvia’s National Armed Forces reported the incident.
The drone was shot down in Balvi Municipality in the eastern part of the country.
Air alert declared in several municipalities
Shortly before 4:00 a.m., residents of the Balvi, Rēzekne, Preiļi, and Augšdaugava municipalities received an orange alert due to a threat in the airspace. After 4:00 a.m., residents of Alūksne Municipality received a yellow warning.
Fighter jets involved in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission were deployed to respond to the situation.
At 4:42 a.m., Latvia’s National Armed Forces reported that the threat had passed. The military emphasized that, together with its allies, it continuously monitors the airspace in order to respond quickly to potential threats.