Romania and Latvia, both members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), reported incidents of Russian drones violating their airspace over the weekend.
According to Romanian authorities, a Russian drone entered the country’s airspace on Sunday, following a series of attacks on Ukraine. In response, the Romanian defense ministry deployed F-16 fighter jets to monitor the airspace and launched an investigation into a potential “impact zone” near the Romania-Ukraine border.
Romania’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the incident, calling on Russia to “stop its reckless escalation” in Ukraine. In a statement on X, the ministry described the drone incursion as a “criminal” act that targeted Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
In Latvia, a Russian drone crashed near the city of Rezekne, located about 34 miles west of Russia and 47 miles from Belarus. While there were no reported victims or damage, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds described the incident as “serious” and a reminder of the country’s proximity to Russia.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics also addressed the incident on X, noting that the number of such incidents is increasing along NATO’s Eastern flank and emphasizing the need for collective action to address them.
The incidents occurred amidst a series of nighttime strikes on Ukraine, including an attack on the city of Sumy, near the Russian border, which resulted in two fatalities and four injuries. Russia also launched 16 “glide bombs” at the area and attacked the city again, injuring two more people.
NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana condemned the drone airspace violations, but noted that there is currently no evidence to suggest that Russia intentionally flew its drones into Romanian and Latvian airspace.
