A French military Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Latvia's airspace on Monday, the latest in a series of security incidents along Europe's eastern border regions. The Latvian army stated the drone entered from Russia due to 'Russian electromagnetic warfare' but did not specify the drone's origin. Authorities had earlier warned residents in eastern Latvia to seek shelter, and the alert was lifted after the drone was destroyed. However, another air threat warning was issued later in the day.
In a separate incident, fragments of a Ukrainian drone were found in Moldova after it crossed into the country early Monday. Moldova's defense ministry confirmed the drone entered from Ukraine during a Russian overnight attack. Moldova's foreign ministry blamed Russia for the incident, stating that regardless of the drone's origin, Russia bears responsibility due to its ongoing war in Ukraine. Ukraine's foreign ministry said it was in close contact with Moldovan authorities regarding the incident.
These incidents follow recent drone breaches into NATO and non-NATO countries bordering Ukraine, including Finland, Lithuania, and Estonia. Ukraine has increased long-range drone attacks on Russia, some of which have strayed into neighboring airspace. Earlier, two Russian drones exploded in Romania, injuring two people, raising concerns about the war's potential expansion into NATO territory.