French jet on NATO mission shoots down drone in Latvian airspace

BERZGALE, Latvia — A French military Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered NATO member Latvia’s airspace from Russia on Monday, the latest in a series of such security incidents along Europe’s eastern border regions.

The Latvian army, without saying who launched the drone, said it entered from Russia “as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare.”

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, in a post on X, hailed “swift decision-making and professional action” over the incident.

A French army spokesperson confirmed French warplanes had shot down an unidentified drone, and a NATO official said: “It shows once again NATO’s determination and ability to deter and defend.”

The final decision to shoot down the drone was taken by NATO command, Latvian defence minister Raivis Melnis told reporters.

Latvia said Russia had been identified as using electronic warfare before the drone entered the country and was shot down at 0705 GMT near the village of Berzgale about 30 km (18 miles) from the border.

No one was hurt and no property was damaged, Melnis said.

Authorities had earlier warned people in eastern Latvian regions to shelter indoors because of the threat.

Numerous military vehicles were seen driving along the rural roads around Berzekne and surrounding villages on Monday afternoon looking for drone debris in high grass.

Military drones straying into the airspace of Russia’s neighbors have stoked concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine is spilling over NATO’s borders.

Fragments of a Ukrainian drone were found in a field in Moldova on Monday after it entered from Ukraine - an incident that Chisinau blamed on Russia because of its war with Ukraine.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the incidents in Latvia and Moldova “confirm that Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine poses a threat beyond Ukraine’s borders.”

An army official told Reuters in May that Latvia was increasing anti-drone defenses.

Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone attacks on Russia, including in the Baltic Sea area, where several Ukrainian military drones have strayed into the airspace of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Ukraine blamed the incidents on Russia affecting the drone paths with electromagnetic warfare.

The French military jet that shot down the drone on Monday is part of the NATO Baltic Air Police mission, which has patrolled the skies of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia since they joined NATO in 2004.

The mission also currently includes Romanian F-16 fighters and Portuguese F-16 fighters. Last month a Romanian military jet on the Baltic Air Police mission shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over Estonia.

拉脱维亚贝尔兹加莱——周一，一架法国军用“阵风”战斗机击落了一架从俄罗斯进入北约成员国拉脱维亚领空的无人机，这是欧洲东部边境地区发生的一系列此类安全事件中的最新一起。

拉脱维亚军方没有透露是谁发射了无人机，只表示无人机是从俄罗斯进入的，“这是俄罗斯电磁战的结果”。

拉脱维亚总理安德里斯·库尔贝格斯在 X 上发帖，称赞了针对该事件的“迅速决策和专业行动”。

法国军方发言人证实，法国战机击落了一架不明无人机。北约官员表示：“这再次表明了北约威慑和防御的决心和能力。”

拉脱维亚国防部长赖维斯·梅尔尼斯告诉记者，击落无人机的最终决定是由北约指挥部做出的。

拉脱维亚方面表示，在无人机进入该国之前，已确认俄罗斯使用了电子战。该无人机于格林尼治标准时间 07:05 在距离边境约 30 公里（18 英里）的贝尔兹加莱村附近被击落。

梅尔尼斯说，没有人受伤，也没有财产损失。

此前，当局曾警告拉脱维亚东部地区的人们由于受到威胁而待在室内。

周一下午，许多军用车辆在贝尔泽克内及其周边村庄的乡村道路上行驶，在高高的草丛中寻找无人机残骸。

俄罗斯军用无人机闯入邻国领空，引发了人们对俄罗斯在乌克兰的战争蔓延到北约边界的担忧。

周一，一架乌克兰无人机的碎片在摩尔多瓦的一片田野中被发现，该无人机是从乌克兰进入摩尔多瓦的——基希讷乌将这一事件归咎于俄罗斯，因为俄罗斯与乌克兰之间爆发了战争。

爱沙尼亚外交部长马尔古斯·察赫克纳表示，拉脱维亚和摩尔多瓦发生的事件“证实了俄罗斯对乌克兰的持续侵略对乌克兰境外构成了威胁”。

一名军方官员5月份告诉路透社，拉脱维亚正在加强反无人机防御。

乌克兰加大了对俄罗斯的远程无人机袭击力度，包括在波罗的海地区，多架乌克兰军用无人机误入芬兰、拉脱维亚、立陶宛和爱沙尼亚的领空。

乌克兰指责俄罗斯利用电磁战影响无人机航线，导致这些事件发生。

周一击落无人机的法国军用喷气式飞机是北约波罗的海空中警察部队的一部分，该部队自 2004 年拉脱维亚、立陶宛和爱沙尼亚加入北约以来，一直在这三个国家的领空巡逻。

目前，该任务还包括罗马尼亚和葡萄牙的F-16战斗机。上个月，一架执行波罗的海空中警察任务的罗马尼亚军用飞机在爱沙尼亚上空击落了一架疑似乌克兰无人机。