The incident began with an overnight alert across five Latvian regions and ended with a discovery that raised difficult security questions.
The Latvian Ministry of Defence has determined that the drone shot down near Rugāji in Balvi Municipality on August 14 belonged to Ukraine.
The aircraft entered Latvian airspace from Belarus. Latvia’s defence ministry believes that its flight path may have been altered by Russian electronic warfare systems.
Why Latvia Is Not Disclosing the Drone Model
The Latvian National Armed Forces will not release information about the type of drone. The decision was explained by the need to avoid creating risks for planned defence measures and the capabilities of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Alert in Five Municipalities and NATO Air Operations
At 4:00 a.m. on August 14, Latvia issued an alert over a potential threat in its airspace. Precautionary measures were in effect in the following municipalities:
Augšdaugava;
Preiļi;
Rēzekne;
Balvi;
Alūksne.
NATO fighter jets carrying out the Baltic Air Policing mission were scrambled in response to the situation. Allied aircraft shot down the drone near Rugāji in Balvi Municipality.
Neutralising the Drone Wreckage
The wreckage was discovered on the evening of August 14. Until August 15, specialists worked to neutralise any potentially explosive components. After these measures were completed, the Latvian side established the origin of the downed drone.