Incidents of this type have increased in recent months. A drone – spotted by no radar – exploded on contact with the surface of a Latvian lake in which it fell on Saturday, reported the authorities of the Baltic state, faced like its neighbors with the intrusion of Ukrainian drones diverted from their trajectory towards Russia, in the midst of war in Ukraine.
The machine fell on Saturday morning into Lake Dridza, in the town of Kraslava bordering Belarus, said the national police, who said they recovered debris after being alerted by local residents.
According to the army, the drone was not detected by radar and no alert to the population was therefore issued.
Resigning Prime Minister Evika Silina confirmed the incident on her X account and said she was waiting for “the most detailed information possible”.
Increasingly recurring facts
Incursions by Ukrainian drones diverted by Russian jamming systems have become more and more numerous in recent months in the Baltic States, under the effect of the intensification of Ukrainian strikes on Russian strategic targets in the Saint Petersburg region, close to Estonia and Finland.
This week, the approach of a drone triggered an unprecedented alert of an air attack in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania. The head of state and the Prime Minister were taken to safety, and residents invited to find refuge in basements, garages and designated places.
These incidents caused neither casualties nor significant material damage, but exposed the deficiencies in the air defense of these countries. And they cost Evika Silina her post, deprived of her parliamentary majority after forcing her Defense Minister to leave at the beginning of May. She handles current affairs while awaiting the installation of a new office.
