Alarm at NATO: Two drones from Russia got lost in Latvia and Romania. In some cases, F16 jets had to take off.
Riga/Bucharest – It is not the first time that Russian aircraft have entered NATO airspace. On Saturday, a Russian drone crashed in the municipality of Rēzekne in the Latgale region of Latvia. The Latvian Ministry of Defense has now announced that it is probably a drone belonging to the Russian Federation. Authorities, including the state police, are currently investigating the exact circumstances of the incident. In Romania, too, a Russian missile has put F16 fighter jets on alert.
The Latvian armed forces discovered the aircraft as it entered the airspace, tracked its movement and then located the crash site. Ukraine had previously reported numerous drone attacks by Russia and also reported that some aircraft had entered the airspace of the Republic of Belarus. Belarus had also recently repeatedly complained about airspace violations. It remains unclear whether Latvia was actually the target of the drone or whether the crash was unintentional. Latvia immediately informed its NATO partners about the incident and stressed that the investigation is still ongoing.
Russian drones penetrate NATO airspace: Latvia calls for stronger border security
Since the beginning of the Ukraine War In February 2022, there is growing concern in the Baltic states and Poland that the conflict could potentially spread to these countries as well. Russian President Vladimir Putin However, he repeatedly stated that he had no plans to attack the Baltic states or Poland. In a February 2023 interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson Putin said that Moscow “has no interest in attacking Poland, Latvia or other states.”
Despite the assurances so far, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds used the incident to highlight the need for stronger security of the eastern border. In a statement, he stressed that ongoing efforts to improve air defense and electronic warfare were crucial to limit drone operations in the region.
At the NATO summit in Washington DC in July, it was already decided to strengthen air defense in the Baltics through regular patrols. Latvia made it clear that the protection of the country’s borders, airspace and territorial waters will be further improved, especially through the expansion of air defense systems on the eastern border.
Russian drone violates Romanian airspace – NATO F16 fighter jets take off
A Russian drone also flew over Romanian territory on Sunday night before re-entering Ukrainian airspace, the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest announced. In the border towns of Constanta and Tulcea, the military sent warnings to the population in the form of text messages for mobile phones. Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets took off to observe the drone’s flight. The military began a search for possible drone debris in the uninhabited area of the border town of Periprava.
The NATO spoke up. “NATO condemns the nighttime Russian airspace violation in Romanian airspace. Although we have no information that would indicate a deliberate attack, Russia’s Allies, but these actions are irresponsible and potentially dangerous,” said NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, himself a Romanian. (dpa/jal)
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