The Russian out of control drone that crashed in Gaigalava parish was a "Shahed" type drone

The Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that crashed in Rēzekne municipality on Saturday, 7 September, was a a "Shahed" type drone and it landed in Gaigalava parish, the defence sector leadership informed at a meeting with the media.

The Russian UAV entered Latvian airspace from Belarus and had lost control, presumably as a result of Ukrainian counteraction. 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.

“Arrival of a Russian drone of a “Shahed” type in Latvia is a serious incident that clearly shows that the Ukrainian war is on the horizon. This is a reality that we have to face - we have to be in constant readiness. When “Shahed” drones strike Ukraine, they tend to fly into Belarusian territory. We are currently in close contact with our allies about this incident, because there have been similar cases in their territories. We need to strengthen NATO's air defence and promote the presence of allies in Latvia through the active implementation of NATO's rotational air defence model,” says Andris Sprūds, Defence Minister of Latvia.

The National Armed Forces were aware of the UAV's flight movements and detected the UAV's approach to the territory of Latvia and the crash site. The National Armed Forces acted in accordance with the established procedures, including notifying the NATO chain of command.

Following the incident, the National Armed Forces 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.

The National Armed Forces have also already reinforced their air defence capabilities on the eastern border by deploying additional units to the border. Latvia continues to ensure the protection of the external borders of the European Union and NATO.

Media contacts: 

MoD Military Public Affairs Department
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E-mail: prese@mod.gov.lv