Drones crash in Latvia near Russian border

WorldPolitics
7 May 2026 • 3:49 PM MYT
DPA International
DPA International

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Image from: Drones crash in Latvia near Russian border
FILE PHOTO - A border post bearing the inscription "Republic of Latvia" stands at the Latvian border with Russia during a visit by Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics. German arms manufacturer Dynamit Nobel Defence plans to build a production facility for anti-tank mines in Latvia. (zu dpa: «Drones crash in Latvia near Russian border») Alexander Welscher/dpa

Two drones crossed into Latvian airspace from Russia and crashed near the border overnight, the Latvian military said on Thursday.

Two unmanned aerial vehicles came down in the eastern Latvian region of Latgale.

Military, police and fire department units were on the scene. There were initially no reports of injuries.

It remained initially unclear whether the drones were of Russian or Ukrainian origin. The incidents coincided with Ukrainian drone attacks on targets in Russia.

Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds said he suspects the drones to be Ukrainian, according to remarks on television.

Emergency services said one of the drones crashed into an oil storage facility in the city of Rezekne, damaging four empty oil tanks. No major damage was initially identified there, Latvian television reported, citing the fire department.

Latvia, a member of the European Union and NATO, borders Russia and Belarus. Residents of regions near the border received phone alerts during the night warning of a possible threat to Latvian airspace.

Local authorities in some areas cancelled school lessons on Thursday morning as a precautionary measure.

The military said several drones had flown into Latvia.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than four years with Western assistance.

During Ukrainian attacks, stray drones used to strike targets in north-western Russia have repeatedly entered the airspace of the Baltic states and, in some cases, crashed.