A similar incident involving a Ukrainian UAV was also reported in Moldova
French fighter jets have shot down an unidentified drone over Latvia, with the Baltic country’s military claiming the aircraft entered its airspace after being diverted by Russian electronic warfare.
Latvia did not name the origin of the UAV. However, a similar incident was reported overnight in Moldova, where the authorities said a drone that crashed there was most likely Ukrainian.
The incidents appear to fit a growing pattern of drones launched by Kiev against Russia ending up in third countries.
The interception in Latvia took place over Nautreni Parish, about 15 km from the Russian border. On Monday morning, the Defense Ministry released two videos filmed from the ground by witnesses showing the aircraft being taken down.
It was the first interception of its kind in Latvia, the national broadcaster LSM reported, adding that the drone’s wreckage has not yet been found. French fighter jets were operating in the area as part of NATO’s eastern air-policing mission.
Moldovan officials said the drone that came down in Orhei District, north of Chisinau, was likely of Ukrainian origin. Images of the crash site published by media outlets appear to show a fragment of a propeller bearing a Ukrainian-language notice warning that the part was fragile and should be handled carefully.
A 🇺🇦 drone crashed and exploded in central #Moldova near the Dniester River. 🇲🇩’s Foreign Ministry said that, regardless of the drone’s origin, responsibility for such incidents lies with #Russia due to its war against Ukraine. According to preliminary information, no one was… pic.twitter.com/9jAlgzZpJX
The Moldovan Foreign Ministry blamed Russia for the incident, arguing that Moscow bears responsibility for any spillover of the conflict into Moldovan territory regardless of the circumstances.
Incursions by Ukrainian drones into NATO airspace have intensified since March, as Kiev has carried out regular attacks on Russian Baltic ports in an effort to curb Moscow’s energy exports. Countries affected by the incidents have described the incursions as accidental, while some have urged Ukraine to plan its military operations more carefully. Moscow, however, has suggested that Kiev may have received tacit approval from NATO to use the bloc’s airspace.
Ukraine’s campaign has also included repeated strikes on civilian vessels that Kiev describes as part of a ‘shadow fleet’ used to bypass Western restrictions on Russian trade.
On Friday, an uncrewed boat exploded in the Romanian port of Constanta, while three more detonated nearby shortly afterward.
Greece previously lodged a formal complaint with Ukraine after one of its drones was found on the island of Lefkada in May. Kiev cited its conflict with Russia in its response.
Russian officials have repeatedly warned that the continuation of hostilities increases risks for third countries and could ultimately trigger a direct confrontation with NATO. In 2022, Kiev called on the military bloc to retaliate against Russia after a missile killed two farmers in Poland. The projectile was later confirmed to have been Ukrainian.
