NATO fighter jets have shot down a drone in Latvian airspace on Monday, according to Latvia's military. Latvia's air alerts have since been lifted.
The incident prompted air-raid warnings in the Rēzekne and Ludza regions in the country's east, near the Russian border, with a precautionary alert also issued for the neighbouring Balvi and Alūksne regions. Emergency text messages were sent to residents' mobile phones.
NATO air-policing jets, which maintain a permanent presence over the Baltic states to protect their airspace, were scrambled in response, according to Latvian public broadcaster LSM.lv. At around 09:40 local time, the alert in Rēzekne and Ludza was elevated to orange, indicating an elevated threat.
Latvia's two-tier air alert system
Yellow – an informational warning advising residents to monitor developments; no immediate action required.
