Latvia Finds Drone Debris in Alūksne District
Military officials announced the discovery on Saturday, six days after the aircraft likely entered Latvian airspace.
By Natalia Costa ·
Latvia’s National Armed Forces announced on Saturday, October 24, that they recovered wreckage from a drone that crashed on domestic soil. The debris was located in the Alūksne district, concluding a search that had paused a week earlier.
The military stated that the unmanned aerial vehicle likely crossed into Latvian airspace on October 18. Initial reports described a loud noise similar to an explosion. In response, the National Armed Forces and the State Police launched a search for a crash site. They suspended that effort after two days because available data was insufficient to confirm what had occurred.
Officials said an investigation into the incident is now active. An internal review is also underway to assess how the event unfolded and the specific factors involved. The military confirmed that no civilians were injured during the incident. Authorities reported that no civilian infrastructure sustained damage and that no further threats have been identified.
The discovery follows a similar event in neighboring Lithuania. On October 18, workers found wreckage from a suspected drone in Juodžionys, a village in the Pasvalys district. Lithuanian officials said the drone entered the country from Poland. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius stated that the aircraft contained explosives.
Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesman for Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attributed the Lithuanian incident to Russian electronic warfare measures. He noted that Ukraine expressed regret regarding the event.
