NATO jets shoot down drone over eastern Latvian airspace: Defence ministry

On August 14, 2026, the Latvian Defense Ministry announced that NATO fighter jets had successfully shot down a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that had entered Latvian airspace. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, around 4:00 AM local time, in the municipalities of Augsdaugava, Preili, Rezekne, Balvi, and Aluksne.

An orange airspace alert was issued, prompting residents to seek shelter and take necessary precautions. The alert was lifted approximately an hour later after the drone was neutralized. Initially, the Latvian armed forces did not identify the origin of the drone, describing it as a foreign UAV that had entered Latvian airspace due to Russian electronic warfare, which could potentially be a Ukrainian drone.

Iveta Berziņa, a spokeswoman for the Latvian armed forces' Joint Headquarters, stated that she could not confirm the proximity of the drone to populated areas when it was intercepted. This incident also led to Finland temporarily restricting air and maritime traffic in the eastern Gulf of Finland.