Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said he takes responsibility for not shooting down the drones that flew into the country on April 7.
Spruds stated this in a telephone interview with Latvian television.
According to the minister, the unshot drones are primarily the responsibility of the leadership of the Armed Forces and him as a political leader. Spruds added that he fully recognizes this and will respect any decision of the Seimas regarding his continued tenure, in particular in the event of a resignation initiated by several opposition parties.
Spruds also noted that the ability of countries to shoot down drones is not absolute and depends on many factors, including the safety of civilians. He added that work is currently underway to strengthen counter-drone systems.
What preceded
On the night of May 7, unidentified drones violated Latvian airspace. Two of them fell, one on the territory of an oil depot in Rezekne. Latvian media reported that the drones had flown into the country from Russian territory, but it is not yet known whether they were Russian. Such incidents have previously occurred when Ukrainian drones attacked northern Russian ports.
According to Defense Minister Spruds, the main assumption at the moment is that the drones came from Ukraine.
"They are striking legitimate targets on the territory of the aggressor state, but the investigation is ongoing, as is communication with the Ukrainian side. The results will be available after the investigation is completed," the Latvian minister said.
In light of the incident, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian chargé dʼaffaires to deliver a note of protest.
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