NATO fighter jets shoot down a drone over Latvia, first successful interception in the Baltic country

Updates since 8 June 2026

A context of drones gone astray originating from Ukraine

The new element since the previous update is the confirmation, by the Latvian army, that the device was indeed shot down by NATO aircraft. Brigadier General Kaspars Zdanovskis indicated, during a press conference alongside Defense Minister Raivis Melnis, that the interception took place at 10:05 a.m. local time above the municipality of Berzgale, near Rezekne, in the east of the country. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs thanked on X the Latvian army and NATO allies, writing that, thanks to "rapid decisions and professional action," a drone that entered Latvia was able to be shot down for the first time. Minister Melnis, however, did not immediately confirm the widely circulated information according to which the shot had been fired by a French fighter jet.

Latvia, a Baltic country without fighter aviation

The sequence is part of a series of recent incidents. The day before, a drone crashed and exploded in a field in the Republic of Moldova, near the village of Lopatna, in the east of the country, without causing injuries according to Moldovan authorities. On Monday already, drone debris had been found in a field close to the Ukrainian border, according to the Moldovan Ministry of Defense. Over the previous two weeks, drones had also exploded during two incidents in Romania, a country also bordering Ukraine.

Reactions in Latvia and alert lifted

A context of drones gone astray originating from Ukraine

The repeated drone incursions in the Baltic countries and in Finland are fueling concerns about an extension of the Ukrainian conflict to NATO's northern borders. According to European experts, Russia would be diverting Ukrainian drones targeting industrial facilities in the Saint Petersburg region. These devices, intended to strike targets in northwestern Russia, have on several occasions gone astray and crashed in Latvia, without causing major damage or injuries. Latvia had already experienced several incidents of this type since the start of the war in Ukraine, but never had a drone been shot down there until now.

A political crisis in Latvia

The Latvian air force specified that the object was a foreign aircraft that entered the airspace following a "Russian electromagnetic war." The Moldovan government, in Chișinău, for its part considered that the drone found near Lopatna was probably of Ukrainian origin and had also gone astray. It remained however impossible to determine with certainty, on Sunday, whether the device intercepted above Berzgale was Ukrainian or Russian.

Moldova demands interceptor drones

Latvia, a Baltic country without fighter aviation

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not have their own fighter jets. The security of their airspace has been ensured by NATO since 2004, as part of an air policing mission. Allied units are stationed at the military bases of Ämari, in Estonia, and Siauliai, in Lithuania. The Allies regularly rotate combat aircraft and the personnel needed for this mission there. Sunday's interception falls within this arrangement, which none of the three Baltic countries is able to ensure alone.

Reactions in Latvia and alert lifted

Before the interception, Latvian authorities had informed residents of several regions in the east of the country of a possible aerial threat and, in two of these regions, asked the population to take shelter. Residents of the regions bordering Russia and Belarus had also been invited to stay inside buildings. A spokesperson for the Latvian army told Reuters that at least one drone had entered Latvia from Russia. A temporary aerial alert had been decreed before being lifted after the device was shot down, then a brief notification reporting another possible threat was also lifted. Surveillance systems had detected the drone's intrusion during the night.

The interception caused no injuries or damage, according to initial information. The search for debris was however still underway on Sunday. The exact origin and the type of the device were not established immediately, and the precise location of the impact remained undetermined shortly after the announcement of the shooting down.

A political crisis in Latvia

These drone incidents nevertheless triggered a political crisis in Latvia and led to a change of government. They also highlighted, according to several analyses, the limits of the air defense systems of the Baltic countries, deemed incapable of neutralizing this type of device in time. Minister Melnis stressed that no additional information on the origin of the device could be confirmed at this stage.

Moldova demands interceptor drones

In the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that, "regardless of the origin of the drone, responsibility for any drone that lands on the territory of the Republic of Moldova lies with Russia." The Moldovan government condemned the incident "in the strongest terms" on its Telegram channel. Moldovan President Maia Sandu called, faced with the repetition of airspace violations, for the acquisition of interceptor drones. These statements come as Ukrainian attacks against Russian oil ports on the Baltic have intensified, several of these drones missing their target and going astray in neighboring countries.

Furthermore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in London for political talks, following a summit that brought together German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mr. Zelensky. A joint declaration reaffirmed that the United States and Europe must be "actively" associated with the upcoming discussions, on the eve of the G7 and NATO summits as well as the meetings of the "coalition of the willing."