On April 21, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Russian Embassy and protested to him over statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about Latvia's alleged involvement in drone attacks on Russian territory.
This was reported by the LETA agency, Delfi reports.
On April 18, Lavrov said that Latvia had allegedly allowed the use of its airspace for drone attacks on targets in Russia.
The Latvian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov's claims were “a blatant lie” and dismissed the allegations as unfounded. None of the Baltic countries gave permission for their territory and airspace to be used for drone attacks on targets in Russia, the ministry said in a statement.
The Baltic countries officially conveyed this position to the chargé d'affaires of the Russian embassies in Tallinn on March 27, in Riga on March 31, and in Vilnius on March 27.
In addition, on April 10, the foreign ministers of the Baltic states issued a joint statement on the Russian disinformation campaign. Despite a clear official position, Russia continues to spread false information, the Latvian ministry added.
During the meeting on April 21, the Latvian side also expressed a protest to the Russian chargé d'affaires over the actions of the city council of Tomsk, Russia, which on April 19 dismantled memorial stones to victims of political repression.
The Latvian Foreign Ministry stated that the dismantling of the memorials reflects Russia's current position, which justifies the crimes of the Soviet totalitarian regime – the illegal occupation of neighboring countries, inhuman repressions, and mass human rights violations. The Latvian side demands clarifications from Russia.
On the night of April 19, the authorities of the Tomsk region of Russia dismantled the memorial to the victims of Stalinist repressions, “Stone of Sorrow,” in the Tomsk Memorial Park, as well as memorials to repressed Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Poles, and Kalmyks.