Latvia’s Defence Minister Andris Sprūds has announced his resignation following recent drone incidents in the country's airspace.
Sprūds said on Sunday at a press conference convened at short notice in Riga that he wished to protect the Latvian military from being exploited for political purposes.
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa had called on the minister to resign shortly before.
Sprūds had lost her trust and that of the public, she wrote on the X platform. She also announced that she had offered the post of defence minister to Colonel Raivis Melnis, and that he had accepted.
Two drones crashed on Wednesday night In Latvia. The country's military believe they had flown into the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO country from Russia.
One drone crashed into an oil depot in Rēzekne. The tanks were empty, and there were no injuries or fatalities.
"This week’s drone incident has clearly shown that the political leadership of the defence sector has failed to deliver on its promise of secure airspace over our country," wrote Siliņa.
Sprūds had already come under criticism following two previous drone incidents in Latvia, which borders Russia and Belarus.
