Latvia: Defense Minister resigns following drone incursion from Russia

The Latvian Defense Minister, Andris Sprūds, resigned on Sunday following the recent incursion of two Ukrainian drones into the territory of the Baltic country.

The Latvian Prime Minister, Evika Silāre, had requested Sprūds’ resignation, stating that he had “lost [his] confidence and that of the public.” The Latvian head of government believes that the anti-drone systems were not deployed quickly enough to counter the drone incursion last Thursday.

“The drone incident that occurred this week clearly showed that the political leadership in the defense sector did not keep its promise to ensure the security of the airspace above our country,” wrote Evika Silāre.

“This is a significant responsibility that requires clear results,” she added, emphasizing the country’s role as one of NATO’s largest spenders, allocating nearly 5% of its GDP to defense.

Kyiv accuses Moscow of “electronic warfare”

On Thursday, two drones crossed the Russian border to enter Latvia. One of them hit a petrol storage site in Rezekne, in the east of the country, causing a fire that was quickly brought under control by firefighters.

The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, stated that the drones had entered Latvia as a result of a “Russian electronic warfare.” The devices are believed to be Ukrainian drones reprogrammed by Russia.

Following this new violation of European airspace, Latvia and Lithuania have called on NATO to strengthen its air defense.

“As long as Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, it is possible that such incidents may occur, when a foreign unmanned aircraft enters Latvian airspace or approaches it,” the army stated after the incursion.

Evika Silāre announced that Colonel Raivis Melnis will now assume the position of Defense Minister.

Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, several Russian and Ukrainian drones have crashed in the Baltic trio of states formed by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.