Latvia reports Russian drone incursion and oil tank damage

Latvian authorities said two drones entered NATO member Latvia from Russian territory and crashed on Thursday morning, with officials linking them to Ukraine’s wider drone operations against targets in Russia.

The Latvian army said the drones were detected and later went down near the eastern border region, prompting a response from NATO’s Baltic air policing mission, which deployed military jets to the area.

Defence Minister Andris Spruds said the drones were “probably launched by Ukraine against targets in Russia,” according to Latvian public broadcaster LSM.

Authorities later reported damage to four empty oil tanks at a storage facility in Rezekne, around 40 km from the Russian border. Police and firefighters said debris consistent with a drone was found at the site, and a smouldering area inside one tank was extinguished.

Latvian officials issued drone alerts at 4:09 a.m. local time (0109 GMT), urging residents near the Russian border to remain indoors.

Military aircraft from NATO’s Baltic air policing mission were deployed after the incident, while local authorities confirmed that all schools in Rezekne would remain closed for the day.

Regional tensions

The incident comes after several similar cases in March, when stray drones entered Latvia and neighbouring Estonia and Lithuania. In one case, a drone struck a power station chimney, while another crashed into a frozen lake and exploded.

• Latvia completes border fence with Russia enhancing security

Baltic officials have repeatedly said their territories and airspace are not being used for attacks against Russia, despite increasing drone activity linked to the wider Ukraine war.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the latest incident.

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