Italian Eurofighter shoots down drone in Latvian airspace amid NATO Baltic patrols

Interception over Latvia

NATO fighter jets shot down a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle that entered Latvian airspace on the night of 13 August, the Latvian defence ministry confirmed on 14 August. Italian Eurofighter jets, stationed in Lithuania as part of NATO's Baltic air policing mission, carried out the interception over eastern Latvia's Balva region. The Latvian armed forces said the drone had entered Latvian airspace "as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare." An air alert declared across five Latvian regions was revoked at 4:50 AM.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze publicly thanked Italy on X, writing that she was grateful to Italy's allies for their contribution to NATO's air defence mission in the Baltics and for maintaining the integrity of allied airspace. A NATO spokesperson said on X that Italian Eurofighters from Lithuania and Turkish F-16s from Estonia had scrambled, with one Eurofighter downing the drone. The spokesperson added that Romanian F-16s and Spanish F-18s had also scrambled the previous day after drones violated Romanian airspace near the Ukrainian border.

Probable Ukrainian origin

Ukrainska Pravda reported the downed drone was probably Ukrainian and had deviated from its course. Official statements did not specify who launched the drone, but Ukrainian drones simultaneously attacked the Russian port of Ust-Luga, roughly 100 kilometres east of St. Petersburg, whose shortest flight path passes along the eastern borders of Latvia and Estonia. Aleksandr Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region, said 51 drones were shot down over the region and a fire broke out at the Ust-Luga port.

A spokesperson for the Latvian Joint Staff told Latvian radio the wreckage location was known but would not be disclosed. The drone was shot down at high altitude, meaning debris could have scattered over a considerable area. Competent services were working on site.

Finland and broader NATO response

Finland's military announced a temporary airspace and maritime restriction over the eastern Gulf of Finland on the night of 14 August, describing it as a precautionary measure to ensure safety and allow authorities to counter potential drones. The previous week, a drone carrying an "unidentified explosive device" was discovered at Leipzig airport in Germany, a key logistics hub for NATO and military supplies to Ukraine, causing temporary traffic disruption.

In June, French Rafale jets stationed in the Baltics under NATO shot down a drone in Latvia, according to Le Parisien. Baltic states bordering Russia have recorded a growing number of such intrusions.

Pattern of incursions and political fallout

The Reuters timeline documents a series of drone incursions across NATO's northern flank. On 25 March, two stray Ukrainian drones entered Estonia and Latvia via Russia, one striking a chimney at Estonia's Auvere power station. Finland identified a Ukrainian AN-196 drone on 29 to 30 March, with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo citing Russian electronic jamming as a possible cause. On 7 May, a drone exploded at an oil storage facility in Latvia's Rezekne region, damaging four empty tanks. Defence Minister Andris Spruds resigned on 10 May after Prime Minister Evika Silina said anti-drone systems had not been deployed fast enough. Silina herself resigned on 14 May, triggering the collapse of Latvia's coalition government when Spruds' Progressives party withdrew support. On 15 May, Finnish authorities warned 1.8 million people in the Helsinki region to stay indoors due to suspected drone activity and suspended air traffic at the capital's airport. President Alexander Stubb said there was no direct military threat to Finland.