NATO fighters shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace early on Friday, with Latvia’s National Armed Forces reporting that the aircraft was destroyed during an air defence mission. The incident prompted an air threat alert in areas near the Russian border before authorities later lifted the warning.
The interceptors were reported to be Italian Eurofighter Typhoons operating as part of NATO’s air policing mission, although initial coverage referred more generally to allied fighters. Latvian authorities have not identified the drone’s type, operator or origin. One report said it may have entered Latvian airspace after being affected by Russian electronic warfare while operating in the region.
The shoot-down adds to growing concern across Europe over drone incursions and the readiness of NATO air-defence systems on the alliance’s eastern flank. It is one of the more direct responses yet to an unidentified drone entering NATO-controlled airspace, with allied aircraft moving from detection to kinetic interception.