Two drones entering from Russian airspace crashed in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia on May 7. The incident triggered an immediate air threat alert in the Balvi, Ludza, and Rēzekne districts. Local authorities confirmed that one of the unmanned aerial vehicles fell in the city of Rēzekne near a strategic oil storage facility.
This was reported by LSM, citing official statements from the Latvian army and state police representatives.
The State Fire and Rescue Service inspected the oil tanks using thermal imaging cameras and found no signs of fire or structural damage. Currently, emergency services remain on-site while the State Police has cordoned off the affected area for further investigation.
Security measures and official response
The crash site of the second drone remains unidentified as search operations continue across the region. Consequently, local officials canceled all classes in schools and kindergartens throughout Rēzekne and the surrounding districts. In the Balvi region, educational institutions transitioned to remote learning to ensure student safety during the ongoing assessment.
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds stated that the National Armed Forces and NATO allies have established maximum control over the regional airspace. Allied fighter jets were scrambled to patrol the border zone. The Minister also addressed the potential origin of the aircraft while emphasizing Ukraine’s right to strike military targets within Russia.
“At first glance, there is a possibility that these are drones aimed at targets in Russia from the Ukrainian side. But this is only a guess; the information needs verification,” Sprūds added.
Military officials warned that such incidents are a direct consequence of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine and may recur. Although the immediate air threat was lifted at 8:20 AM, Latvian defense systems maintain a high state of combat readiness along the eastern border.
Previously, The Ukrainian Review reported that the US approves the sale of JDAM-ER kits to Ukraine.
