VILNIUS (Reuters) – A Russian military drone which crashed in Latvia on Saturday carried explosives that were likely to have been intended for Ukraine when it strayed into its air space, Latvian officials said on Monday.
Romania and Latvia, both NATO members and supporters of Ukraine in its 2 1/2-year-old war with Russia, said on Sunday they were investigating instances of Russian drones that crashed after breaching their airspace.
The drone that landed in Latvia was of the Iranian-designed Shahed type, National Armed Forces Commander Lieutenant General Leonids Kalnins told a press conference, according to Latvia’s Delfi news website.
The drone’s explosives, which were likely meant for Ukraine, were deactivated following its discovery in Latvia, Kalnins told reporters.
The drone fell in the region of the village of Gaigalava some 90 km (60 miles) from the border with Belarus, from where it entered, according to a Latvian Defence Ministry statement on Monday.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana on Sunday denounced the incidents as “irresponsible and potentially dangerous”, while saying there was no indication of a deliberate attack on alliance member-states.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, writing by Terje Solsvik, editing by Angus MacSwan)
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