Latvia 'forgot' about ammunition when buying anti-drone systems — new PM reveals strange incident
"They purchased the equipment, but forgot to buy the ammunition," Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said, without disclosing further details about what systems he was referring to or who was responsible.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs revealed a perplexing incident during an interview on Leta news agency's program, where he disclosed that his country had procured anti-drone systems but neglected to purchase the necessary ammunition. Kulbergs discussed this incident while addressing drone incursions and the work of the former Latvian Defense Minister, Andris Spruds.
However, he did not provide further details about the specific types of systems or agencies involved, declining to confirm if the systems were indeed purchased under Spruds' tenure.
Kulbergs' revelation came amidst a discussion about the role of a unified system that would encompass the Latvian Defense Ministry and the Border Guard. This system would benefit from Ukraine's expertise in drone monitoring and threat neutralization. Kulbergs emphasized that Latvia currently lacks substantial backing for its claims of being a significant power in the drone field.
Former Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigned on May 10 after Prime Minister Erika Silina criticized him for failing to ensure safe skies over Latvia. Spruds claimed that two Ukrainian drones, originally intended to strike within Russia, had entered Latvia's airspace. This incident followed a series of similar occurrences in neighboring Baltic countries, as Russia redirects the trajectory of Ukrainian drones through jamming.
Spruds' resignation aimed to shield the Latvian army from political interference, sparking the Progressives' exit from the government and the collapse of Silina's cabinet. With Spruds' party now the primary opposition, Latvia's parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 3, are approaching.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
