Arabic version: مقاتلة تابعة للناتو تسقط طائرة مسيّرة في المجال الجوي اللاتفي
According to ABC News, a NATO fighter jet shot down a drone after it entered Latvian airspace, with the alliance confirming earlier statements from Latvia’s defence ministry and military.
A NATO spokesperson said two Italian Eurofighter jets were scrambled in response to the drone. One of the aircraft shot it down. Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets were also scrambled, and all of the aircraft were operating under NATO command.
NATO has launched an investigation into the incident. It was not immediately clear where the drone had come from. Latvia’s defence ministry said on X that the foreign unmanned aerial vehicle entered the country as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare.
Latvia, an EU and NATO member state with about 1.9 million inhabitants, shares its eastern border with Russia. The country, along with other NATO eastern-flank states including Romania and Poland, has faced repeated airspace incursions as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.
Russia and Ukraine both rely heavily on drones in the four-year conflict. European concerns over unauthorised drone activity have grown particularly along NATO’s eastern flank bordering Russia.
