NATO Jets Shoot Down Drone in Latvian Airspace

An Italian Eurofighter jet operating under NATO command shot down a drone of unknown origin on Friday morning after it entered Latvian airspace. The incident triggered an air alert in eastern Latvia, prompting authorities to issue an orange warning level and urge residents to seek shelter. In the town of Aglona, pilgrims visiting a baroque church spent the night in a school basement for safety. NATO officials confirmed that two Italian Eurofighters and two Turkish F-16s were scrambled in response to the threat.

Latvian military officials stated that the drone was shot down over a forested area near the village of Rugaji, approximately 35 kilometers from the Russian border. No injuries or property damage were reported. While the exact origin and type of the drone have not yet been determined, Latvian military spokespeople linked the incident to Russian electronic warfare activity, which they say can divert unmanned aerial vehicles into Latvian airspace. This follows a similar incident on June 8 when French jets shot down a Ukrainian drone that had been diverted by Russia.

Search operations for the debris are ongoing, though military commanders noted that the dense forest makes the task difficult. The event occurred amidst broader regional tensions, with Finland also restricting air and sea traffic in the Gulf of Finland on Friday morning as a precaution during a large scale Ukrainian drone attack targeting the Russian port of Ust-Luga.