A drone entered Latvian airspace overnight and was shot down by a fighter jet on a NATO mission, according to Danish broadcaster DR. Residents in the affected area were told to stay indoors and shelter in the most protected room available.
DR reports that the drone crossed into Latvian airspace during the night. A fighter jet operating under NATO command brought it down. Where the drone came from has not been disclosed.
DR’s Nordic and Baltic Sea correspondent, Per Bang Thomsen, said the public received an alert instructing them to seek shelter. People were told to stay in a room offering the best possible protection in the event of an explosion. According to Thomsen, it is far from the first time a drone has entered Latvian airspace.
Thomsen noted that drones landing in Latvia have previously turned out to be Ukrainian, after being jammed by Russian electronic warfare. Latvia’s national guard searched for wreckage after an earlier shoot-down in June of this year. In May 2026, an interceptor drone, designed to shoot down other drones, was presented at a military training area in Selija.
Latvia expanding drone defenses with Ukrainian expertise
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs recently told DR that his government is building up its drone defenses together with military experts from Ukraine. He said the Ukrainians have demonstrated the ability to hit 85 percent of incoming Russian drones. Kulbergs stressed that the systems must be integrated within NATO.
According to Kulbergs, one shared system should cover the three Baltic states, Poland and Finland, because drones fly wherever they want. He also said the defense should not rely on fighter jets. Shooting down thousands of drones with missiles is not an efficient use of equipment, per the prime minister.
Latvia holds a general election in October, and more effective drone protection is a significant campaign issue, according to Thomsen. He described the country’s gaps in drone defense as politically explosive.
In May 2026, two stray Ukrainian drones hit Latvia and caused a fire at a fuel depot near Rezekne in the east of the country. Residents criticized the authorities afterward. Thomsen said several felt let down, complaining they had not been warned properly and had to read about the incident on Facebook.
That episode developed into a domestic political crisis that brought down the government, DR reports. The prime minister criticized the defense minister over the performance of the armed forces, which contributed to the collapse.
At the same time as the Latvian drone alert, Finland introduced restrictions on air and shipping traffic. According to the Finnish military, the measures were partly intended to allow for possible action against drones. The specific reason was not disclosed.
