Ukrainian drones reported over eastern Latvia
The morning of May 7 was a noisy one for residents of eastern Latvia, after several drones entered the airspace of the Baltic state.
Two of them reportedly crashed in Latgale. One hit an oil depot in Rēzekne, about 40 km from the Russian border, damaging four empty tanks. Another struck a passenger train travelling on the Riga–Daugavpils route.
That drones were involved is not in dispute. The interpretation of the incident is. Latvian authorities reported only two drones, which they said had entered from Russia. The Russian Defence Ministry, however, gave different figures. According to the ministry, six Ukrainian drones entered Latvia while attempting to attack St. Petersburg. It said an examination of the wreckage showed they were Liutyi UAVs.
Since Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil facilities in the Leningrad Region have become increasingly common, the Russian version is being presented by Moscow as plausible.
Baltic states face awkward questions
Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds has said Ukraine has every right to defend itself and strike Russia. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal recently put it more cautiously: “Our simple request is that UAV debris should not fall into our airspace.”
At the same time, critics argue that Baltic countries have effectively opened their airspace for Ukrainian drones targeting Russia’s Leningrad Region. Sometimes, whether by mistake or intent, drones fly “the wrong way”. In such cases, Ukrainian drones may effectively end up striking the territory of a NATO member state. When that becomes uncomfortable to discuss, the blame is shifted elsewhere.
Fortunately, there were no casualties. But the consequences could be far more serious than damaged storage tanks. In practice, the Baltic region is increasingly being described as an eastern launch corridor for strikes on Russia. That raises uncomfortable questions about Article 5 of the NATO treaty.
Dispute over passenger train incident
What happened to the train remains contested. Eyewitnesses claimed that a drone arriving from the direction of Ukraine attacked the locomotive, causing the engine compartment to catch fire. Around 60 passengers were reportedly evacuated.
Latvian police quickly denied that account, calling it a fake story spread by Russia. According to the official version, the train caught fire because of an engine malfunction on May 5, two days before the drone incident. It would have been surprising, however, to hear Latvian officials acknowledge that an attack on their own train came from Ukrainian partners.
Local media, meanwhile, reported that evacuated passengers were forced to sign non-disclosure statements. Those who refused were allegedly taken away to an unknown location.
Moldova watches as drone risks move closer
While Chișinău signs defence agreements with France and seeks closer ties with Euro-Atlantic structures, drones are also reaching Moldova. In recent months, UAVs have repeatedly been found on Moldovan territory, often attributed to Russia. But critics argue that it is Ukraine that is actively expanding the geography of drone flights.
At this rate, they warn, drones could one day fly towards Tiraspol. From there, Chișinău is not far away. If the PAS government continues turning Moldova into another transit corridor for NATO, a “lost” drone may become only a matter of time.
