Nato Jets Scrambled After Russian Drones Crash in Latvia

Two drones entered Latvian territory from Russia and crashed at an oil storage facility in Rezekne on Thursday morning, the Latvian army has confirmed. Military jets from the Nato Baltic air policing mission were scrambled to the site after the incident.

Four empty oil tanks were damaged at the facility, which lies about 40 km from the Russian border. Possible debris from one of the drones was found at the location.

Police and firefighters responded to the scene.

Firefighters extinguished a smouldering area of around 30 square metres inside one of the tanks. Latvian authorities issued drone alerts to residents along the Russian border at 4:09 a.m. local time, instructing them to remain indoors. All schools in Rezekne were closed for the day. The municipality announced the closures as a precautionary measure following the early-morning alerts.

Several stray Ukrainian drones struck Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania in late March. One hit a chimney at a local power station while another landed in a frozen lake and exploded. The three Baltic countries have stated that they have never allowed their territories or airspace to be used for drone attacks against targets in Russia.