Two drones entered Latvia from Russian territory on Thursday morning and crashed into an oil storage facility in the Rezekne region, sparking a small fire. Initially, there were concerns of a deliberate attack on the NATO member state. However, Latvian officials announced they might have been misdirected from Ukraine, rather than part of a deliberate Russian attack.
Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds said the drones were believed to have been launched by Ukraine toward Russian targets before veering off course. Officials investigating the incident said signal jamming may have caused the drones to become disoriented.
“As long as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine continues, the recurrence of such incidents when a foreign unmanned aircraft enters or approaches Latvian airspace is possible,” the Latvian army said in a statement.
According to Latvian police and emergency services, one of the drones hit an oil storage facility in the city of Rezekne, located about 40 kilometers from the Russian border, damaging four empty fuel tanks. Firefighters later brought the blaze under control.
Authorities responded by issuing an alert to residents in the border region and advising them to remain indoors. Schools in Rezekne were also closed for the day.
Latvian national police and emergency teams were deployed to the area, including aircraft.
The incident follows similar cases reported in March.