Drone debris in Latvian and Romanian territories. NATO spokeswoman responds

– A military drone that flew into airspace on Saturday Latvia and crashed, it was a “Shahed” class ship designed by Iran and used by the Russians. The drone was aimed at Ukrainenot in Latvia – said the commander of the National Armed Forces, Gen. Leonīds Kalnins.

The payload the drone was carrying was neutralized by Latvian army units after it was found after it hit the ground. Shahed drones are widely used by the Russians in combat against Ukraine.

An investigation is underway to find out why the drone got lost, the Armed Forces conference said on Monday. The drone crashed in eastern Latvia in an open area near Rezekne. According to initial information, it flew in from the side Belarus.

This means that there are about 900 kilometers left as the crow flies to the border of Ukraine.

READ ALSO: Drone debris lands outside parliament. “It tried to crash into the building”

According to Minister of National Defense Andris Spruds, the question of whether the drone was aimed at Ukraine or not is “secondary”, and the most important thing is that Latvian airspace was violated by a drone used by the aggressor.

The military also reported that the drone was not shot down because at the border “you don't shoot left and right” and you have to be absolutely sure that the suspicious object is not, for example, a civilian object – a hang glider or a small plane. The drone's flight trajectory was monitored the entire time – it was emphasized.

It was also recalled that in the past Belarusian drones flew into Latvian space. – As long as it lasts war in Ukrainethere is no guarantee that further such incidents involving drones will not occur, admitted Gen. Kalnins.

Due to the incident, a representative of the embassy was summoned for a meeting on Monday afternoon. Russia – confirmed the head of Latvian diplomacy Baiba Braze.

“The Ministry of National Defense teams, in cooperation with specialists from Romanian intelligence and the Ministry of the Interior, searched the area around the town of Periprava in Tulcea County, where they obtained fragments of a drone of Russian origin for expert examination,” the Romanian Ministry of Defense reported on Monday.

In addition, searches are underway in the area of ​​Caraorman, which could also have been a “zone of impact,” meaning that fragments of a Russian aircraft could have fallen there. These are drones used by Russia in an attack on Ukrainian infrastructure near the Romanian border on the night from Saturday to Sunday.

On Sunday, the Ministry of Defense reported the detection of a drone that entered and then left Romanian airspace. The drone was tracked by radars and F-16 aircraft. Allied structures were kept informed about the situation NATO.

In addition, a statement on Sunday said the drone may have crashed in the Periprava area, an uninhabited area.

READ ALSO: Russian drone flew into airspace, Romania scrambled fighter jets

Fragments of Russian drones have previously fallen in Romania's border regions in the Danube Delta. According to Romanian authorities, these were drones used in attacks on Ukraine, and Romania itself was not the target. Bucharest condemned the attacks on Ukraine's port and civilian infrastructure.

– Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, fragments of Russian drones and missiles have been found on allied territory several times. While we have no information indicating a deliberate Russian attack on allies, these actions are irresponsible and potentially dangerous, NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah said on Sunday, commenting on reports of Russian drones violating the airspace of Latvia and Romania.

– In response to Russia's war, NATO has significantly increased its presence on the eastern flank, including in Romania and Latvia – she added.