NATO fighter jets have shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace, the alliance and Latvian authorities said Friday.
Two Italian Eurofighters were scrambled and one destroyed the unmanned aircraft, while two Turkish F-16s were also deployed under NATO command.
What happened over Latvia?
Latvia’s military initially issued an air alert and urged people in affected areas to remain indoors and seek shelter.
Authorities said the foreign drone entered Latvian airspace over the Balvi region as a result of Russian electronic warfare activity.
It was not immediately clear where the drone originated, and NATO said an investigation was underway.
Latvian authorities did not identify the drone as Ukrainian.
However, the reference to Russian electronic warfare raised the possibility that a Ukrainian drone targeting Russia had been forced off course by interference.
Ukrainian forces had attacked targets in northwestern Russia overnight, according to Latvian media.
Has this happened before?
Latvia and other NATO countries along the alliance’s eastern flank have faced repeated incursions by drones since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
A stray drone was also shot down over Latvia in early June, while other Ukrainian drones heading toward northwestern Russia have previously entered Latvian airspace and crashed.
Romanian and Spanish fighter jets were also deployed on Thursday after drones entered Romanian airspace near Ukraine.
Why are Italian jets defending Latvian airspace?
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not operate their own fighter aircraft, so NATO allies rotate responsibility for policing their skies.
The Italian Eurofighters involved in Friday’s interception are based at Siauliai air base in Lithuania.
Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.
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