Defence Minister Andris Sprūds calls on NATO Senior military leadership to strengthen Latvian airspace security

On Wednesday, 11 September, Defence Minister of Latvia Andris Sprūds met with NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) Admiral Sir Keith Edward Blount and Commander of Allied Air Command General James B. Hecker during their working visit in Latvia. 

The Defence Minister and the NATO senior military leadership discussed the incident of the Russian Federation's "Shahed" drone’s incursion in Latvia. 

During the meeting, Mr.  Sprūds also called for strengthening NATO airspace defence and enhancing the Allied presence in Latvia both through enhanced deterrence activities and through the introduction of an active NATO rotational air defence model, as agreed by the Allies at the NATO Washington Summit this summer.

As reported earlier, on 7 September, a "Shahed" type drone of the Russian Federation crashed in Gaigalava parish, Rēzekne municipality. Following the incident, the Ministry of Defence has started active consultations with allies that have recently experienced similar incidents. Broader consultations are also being established to seek collective solutions with NATO allies.

Following the incident, the National Armed Forces also carried out an operational survey of the site, deactivated the UAV and collected its debris for in-depth analysis. The National Armed Forces and the competent services continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident. There were no casualties and no damage to third party property.

MoD Military Public Affairs Department
Media Relations Section
Phone: 67335093
E-mail: prese@mod.gov.lv