In Latvia, the Prime Minister resigns after tensions related to the intrusion of Ukrainian drones on the territory.

At a press conference in Riga, Evika Silina announced her resignation as Prime Minister, stating, “The most important thing for me is the well-being of Latvians and the security of our country. We are fully aware of the times we are all living in. The brutal war led by Russia in Ukraine has changed the security situation across Europe,” she added.

Evika Silina’s position had become untenable in the last twenty-four hours. Her center-right government coalition, in power since 2023, lost its slim majority in the Saeima due to defection of lawmakers from the Progressive Party, to which the resigning Defense Minister Andris Spruds belongs. Without its nine deputies, the Silina government became a minority with 41 seats out of 100, compared to 47 for the opposition.

Furthermore, Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze of the Greens and Farmers’ Alliance was briefly detained on Thursday as part of a corruption investigation, further weakening Evika Silina’s cabinet. The Progressives welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision and expressed readiness to participate in discussions on forming a new government.

President Edgars Rinkevics announced that he would meet with all parliamentary factions on Friday. Evika Silina’s government will continue to manage day-to-day affairs until a new cabinet is voted on by Parliament.

Several Russian or Ukrainian drones have crashed in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania since the start of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The incidents revealed the country’s defense shortcomings in neutralizing stray drones before they crashed. Evika Silina demanded the resignation of her Defense Minister, Andris Spruds, who resigned on Monday. She proposed a military nominee as his successor, a suggestion rejected by the Progressives. She criticized a “political stance” on Thursday, just months before the scheduled elections in October.

Additionally, Ukrainian drones have crashed in Estonia and Lithuania. Although Ukraine targets Russian sites in the Gulf of Finland, the drones can malfunction or be deviated by Russian air defense and crash onto the territory of these ally countries of Kiev.

During a meeting in Bucharest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he would send experts to Latvia to assist in air defense. “We will send our experts to Latvia to exchange their experience and provide direct assistance in protecting the airspace,” he stated on social media. Zelensky also mentioned plans to sign a Drone Deal agreement with Latvia to build a multi-layered air defense system against various threats and emphasized the importance of working together to strengthen European defense.