11.05.2026 01:21
Latvia's Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigned after the Prime Minister requested his resignation following two drones falling into oil storage facilities. Ukraine announced that the downed drones were its own.
The crash of two unmanned aerial vehicles entering the country from the Russian border onto oil storage facilities has caused a political crisis in Latvia. Defense Minister Andris Spruds, criticized for not activating the air defense systems in time, stepped down after Prime Minister Evika Silina called for his resignation.
DAMAGE AT OIL FACILITY
According to a statement from the Latvian military, two UAVs coming from the direction of Russia entered the country's airspace on the morning of Thursday, May 7. It was reported that four empty oil tanks were damaged at a storage facility in the city of Rezekne, approximately 40 kilometers from the Russian border, and debris from one UAV was found in the area.
PRIME MINISTER CALLED FOR RESIGNATION
Prime Minister Evika Silina stated that the air defense systems were not activated quickly enough during the incident and demanded the resignation of Defense Minister Andris Spruds. Following Spruds' departure, Colonel Raivis Melnis of the Latvian Armed Forces was appointed to replace him.
NOTABLE STATEMENT FROM UKRAINE
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced that the UAVs that crashed in Latvia belonged to Ukraine. Sybiha claimed that the drones deviated from their targets due to Russian electronic warfare activities and crossed into Latvia.
NATO JETS DEPLOYED
It was announced that fighter jets operating under NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission were directed to the region following the attack. Officials stated that the air defense capacity in the Baltic countries needs to be strengthened against the increasing UAV threat.