Drone Shot Down in Latvian Airspace by Italian Eurofighter Jets

A drone entered Latvian airspace and was shot down by Italian Eurofighter jets, the military said on Friday. The decision to shoot it down was taken to avert a threat to Latvia’s population, Defence Minister Raivis Melnis said. An air alert was lifted after the drone was intercepted, Latvia’s military said on social media, after authorities had urged people across the Baltic state to avoid going outside and seek shelter. A spokeswoman for Latvia’s military said the drone was shot down over a forested area. There were no injuries or damage to property. Emergency services are operating at the crash site, she said on Latvian television. The military did not initially identify the drone’s origin, but said a foreign drone had entered Latvian airspace as a result of Russia’s electronic warfare activity over the Balvi region. This suggested it could have been a Ukrainian drone diverted off course by Russian electronic interference. Melnis said it is currently not possible to determine the origin and type of the drone that was shot down. Drone debris would first have to be found and examined, he said.