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<\/p>\nLocal residents are learning how to fly and operate drones at the centre, which includes a 2,500-square-metre indoor hall and a 10,000-square-metere outdoor training area.<\/p>\n
\t<\/p>\n
While taking a break from the training, businesswoman Laura Pica said she believes Latvians have a responsibility to defend their country. <\/p>\n
\u201cLook what we see in Ukraine, if civil citizens would not help, then probably Ukraine would be occupied,\u201d she told The Canadian Press inside the training centre. \u201cThis is why we need to help our country to strengthen their forces.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being Russia\u2019s neighbour is like standing next to \u201ca monkey juggling with grenades,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou can never know when it falls down,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Pica\u2019s concerns are widespread in the Baltic country. NATO shot down a drone loaded with explosives in eastern Latvia three days prior. <\/p>\n
Latvian authorities believe the drone was a Ukrainian aircraft that got diverted into Latvian airspace by Russian jamming.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Russia is) testing our limits and NATO limits,\u201d said Maris Bruza, one of the four founders of the Drone House.<\/p>\n
Testing those limits could include an operation to seize a portion of Latvian territory, just to see how NATO will react, he added.<\/p>\n
The ambitious civilian project aims to train 50,000 citizens in the use of drones, including high school students who receive free training.<\/p>\n
Even Ukrainian soldiers made their way to Drone House to provide training on the use of interceptor drones. The machines are designed to detect, track and neutralize enemy drones. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt the moment, Ukrainians are the best in the world,\u201d said Viesturs Silenieks, a co-founder of the Drone House. \u201cNo doubt that the best knowledge, expertise and practice comes from Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explained that members of his team regularly travel to Ukraine, while Ukrainian military personnel frequently visit the Drone House to train and exchange information on the latest technologies developed on the front lines.<\/p>\n
Among those training at the Drone House was Daiga Auzina, who has worked as a financial services manager for 20 years. <\/p>\n
While she joked she does not have the skills to be a drone pilot, she stressed that investing in security and defence is crucial for Latvians. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s on everybody\u2019s mind today, it is our reality,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not realistic to expect that governments will be able to help and cover every area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Auzina became emotional talking about the presence of Canadian soldiers, who have crossed the ocean to provide military support.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m crying now because I think it\u2019s just so great that Canadians are helping us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Canada is leading a mission to \u201creassure, deter and defend\u201d the Baltic states. But the situation is becoming increasingly complex.<\/p>\n
With cyberattacks, armed drones, infrastructure sabotage, and disinformation campaigns, Latvia is facing threats that blur the line between war and peace.<\/p>\n
Latvia\u2019s new defence minister, Raivis Melnis, was appointed last May during a political crisis triggered by repeated drone attacks. The crisis led to the resignation of former prime minister Evika Silina.<\/p>\n
Melnis, a former military officer, told The Canadian Press that Latvia is taking a proactive approach to the conflict that involves younger generations.<\/p>\n
For example, the country reinstated conscription and added a mandatory national defence education course to school curriculums in 2024.<\/p>\n
The 112-hour course, spread over two years, allows students to develop military skills and includes drone pilot training, according to the minister.<\/p>\n
In Murjani, about 50 kilometres from Riga, volunteers aged 16 to 20 are preparing to participate in a drone-piloting competition using machines they assembled themselves.<\/p>\n
The competition is the culmination of a two-week camp attended by members of the \u201cJaunsardzes,\u201d the youth national guard.<\/p>\n
Alesa Maza, 16, said it\u2019s important to educate young people about drones \u201cto demystify their intimidating aspect\u201d and prevent panic when, for example, a drone enters the country\u2019s airspace.<\/p>\n
She said students are learning about the size of drones, their capabilities, what the aircraft can achieve and what to do when a drone is shot down.<\/p>\n
After all, the teenager lucidly explained, drones are becoming an increasingly common part of Latvians\u2019 lives, and \u201cwe\u2019re going to be seeing them more so it\u2019s just good to understand what it actually is.\u201d<\/p>\n
For many Latvians, defence is no longer just a matter for the military \u2014 it is everyone\u2019s responsibility.<\/p>\n
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
This report was produced with a grant from the Fonds qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois en journalisme international.<\/p>\n
St\u00e9phane Blais, The Canadian Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Local residents are learning how to fly and operate drones at the centre, which includes a 2,500-square-metre indoor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":160109,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[91],"tags":[169,168],"class_list":["post-160108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-riga","tag-latvia","tag-riga"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@dk\/117218291582641985","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}