An Italian fighter jet under NATO command shoots down a drone of unknown origin in Latvia

An Italian fighter jet, part of a NATO air policing mission, shot down on Friday a drone of unknown origin that had entered Latvian airspace — a NATO and EU member country — according to reports from the Alliance itself and Latvian authorities.

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“We can confirm that early this morning, the emergency takeoff of two Italian Eurofighter jets was ordered in response to the presence of a drone over Latvian airspace. One of the Eurofighters shot down the drone,” NATO spokesperson Allison Hart told Efe. She detailed that the emergency takeoff of two Turkish F-16 fighter jets was also ordered. All aircraft operated under NATO command.

Latvian soldiers continue searching for the drone debris in a wooded area near the village of Rugaji, about 35 kilometers from the Russian border. “We cannot provide information about the drone’s origin, as the area has not yet been secured,” Latvian military spokesperson Iveta Berzina told the public broadcaster LSM.

“All these incidents are related to the electronic warfare carried out by Russia, which contributes to these unmanned aerial vehicles [being diverted and] entering Latvian airspace,” Berzina added.

This is the second time this year that NATO fighters have intercepted a drone diverted into Latvian airspace. On June 8, French fighter jets under NATO command shot down a lost drone launched from Ukraine and diverted by Russia.

A Latvian military commander involved in the search for the downed drone explained to Reuters that it is a complicated task because it is a “heavily forested area, with few agricultural fields, making the terrain difficult.”

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Hart noted that an investigation is underway in close contact with Latvian authorities. “NATO is prepared and capable of responding to any potential threat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to safeguard our territory and protect our population,” the spokesperson emphasized.

The three Baltic countries — Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia — have already recorded several drone accidents and incursions into their airspace and are strengthening security around dams, power plants, and natural gas infrastructure. In May, two Ukrainian drones struck an empty oil storage facility in the city of Rezekne, in the east of the country. Evika Silina, the Latvian prime minister at the time, resigned following the controversy sparked by the incident. That same month, Romanian F-16s from the NATO mission shot down a diverted drone over Estonia.

Finland, also a member of the EU and NATO, restricted air and maritime traffic in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland for more than three hours early Friday morning, its defense forces reported on X. It was a precautionary measure following an attack launched by Ukraine with more than fifty drones, which crossed the airspace of the Baltic countries, heading towards Ust-Luga, the main Baltic port in Russia.