NATO fighter jets operating under the Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a foreign drone that penetrated Latvian airspace early Friday morning, the Latvian National Armed Forces confirmed. An Italian Eurofighter, operating as part of NATO's air defence mission, neutralized the threat over an unpopulated area after positive identification, according to statements from the Latvian military and NATO spokespersons.
The drone entered Latvian airspace over the northeastern Balvi region as a result of Russian electronic warfare, prompting air alerts in eastern municipalities including Augšdaugava, Preiļi, Rēzekne, Balvi and Alūksne. Residents in affected areas received mobile phone warnings urging them to seek shelter. The alert was lifted approximately one hour after the threat was neutralized.
The Italian Eurofighter was launched from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, where Italian forces are deployed as part of NATO's Baltic Thunder III air defence mission. The interception occurred at a moment when NATO has elevated its presence and readiness on the eastern flank in response to ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine.
The Latvian armed forces stated that "as long as Russia's aggression in Ukraine continues, a recurrence of cases where foreign drones enter or approach Latvian airspace is possible," and indicated it has deployed additional air defence units to monitor the country's eastern borders.
The incident follows a similar occurrence two months earlier. In June 2026, French Rafale fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace as a result of Russian electronic warfare, an event that also sparked concerns about spillover effects from the Russia-Ukraine war into NATO territory.
The pattern of drone incursions reflects the broader challenge facing NATO's eastern members, who find themselves adjacent to active combat operations. On August 1 this year, NATO's long-standing Baltic Air Policing mission, which has rotated NATO interceptors through Estonia and Lithuania for two decades, was formally redesignated as an air defence mission. The redesignation acknowledges the shift from routine air monitoring to active defense against emerging threats.
No casualties or property damage were reported in Friday's incident. The drone's exact origin remained unidentified as of Friday afternoon, though its entry into Latvian airspace attributed to Russian jamming suggests it may have been a Ukrainian unmanned aircraft diverted from its intended course.
The incident adds to documented evidence of warfare spillover from Ukraine into neighboring NATO states. Latvia has emphasized that protection of its airspace requires continued vigilance and sustained NATO presence along its borders with Russia and Belarus.
