It has been revealed that Russian drones have repeatedly violated the airspace of Latvia, one of the three Baltic states that is a member of NATO, and Romania.

On the 8th, the Latvian Ministry of Defense announced that a Russian drone had crashed in the eastern city of Rezekne on the 7th. The drone is believed to have violated Latvian airspace from neighboring Belarus, which is an ally of Russia.

The Ministry of Defence said police and other authorities were investigating the situation and that it had reported the matter to NATO, of which the country is a member.

Latvian President Rinkević said on social media, “Such incidents are increasing in the eastern part of NATO, and we must deal with them collectively.” The Defense Ministry of Romania, another NATO member, also announced on the 9th that a Russian drone had violated its airspace on the morning of the 8th.

Air Force F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to monitor the drone’s movements and confirmed that it then headed toward Ukraine.

NATO Deputy Secretary-General Joanna Keenan said on social media that there was “no information that Russia was intentionally attacking a NATO member state” in violation of Romanian airspace, but criticized the action as “irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”

Source: Japanese