An unidentified drone that flew in from Russia crashed and exploded in Latvia. It was discovered by the Latvian military. In Estonia, on the night of March 25, a drone that was knocked off course crashed into the chimney of a power plant in Auvere.
This was reported by the Latvian Ministry of Defense and the Estonian broadcaster ERR.
According to a report from the Latvian Defense Ministry, an unknown drone flew into the country's territory from Russia.
“Early warning systems recorded a sound similar to an explosion in the Kraslavsky district,” the statement said.
Units of the National Armed Forces, the State Police, and the State Border Guard are at the scene.
It is also reported that the wreckage of the drone has been discovered. No civilians were injured, no damage was caused to civilian infrastructure. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.
The Latvian Ministry of Defense also assured that there is no further threat to the safety of the civilian population and Latvian airspace.
In connection with the incident, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds interrupted his visit to Ukraine.
“Due to the incident that occurred, I am interrupting my working visit to Ukraine and returning to Latvia,” the minister wrote in H.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkėvičius announced that a foreign drone, the wreckage of which was found in the southeast of the country near the Belarusian border, turned out to be Ukrainian.
According to Rinkevich, the drone that crashed in Latvia was part of a “Ukrainian-coordinated operation against facilities in Russia.”
Estonian security police reported that on the night of March 25, a drone flew into the country from Russia and crashed into the smokestack of a power plant in Auvere.
The Rescue Department's sappers are working at the scene of the incident, the proceedings are being led by the State Prosecutor's Office, and the case is being investigated by the Security Police Department.
“According to the information available at this time, the drone was not aimed at Estonia. Initial actions are currently underway, the investigation will clarify the more precise circumstances,” said Prosecutor General Astrid Asi.
According to Enefit Power's preliminary assessment, the power plant did not suffer any direct damage and the incident will not have a significant impact on Estonia's power system.
On March 24 and 25, Ukraine carried out drone strikes on the port of Ust-Luga and facilities in the Leningrad Region.
“We are talking about the consequences of a full-scale war of aggression by Russia. It can be assumed that similar incidents will be repeated,” said Margot Palloson, Director General of the Security Police.
On March 23, a drone flew into Lithuania, probably from Belarus, and exploded on Lake Lavysas, more than 20 km from the border. Lithuanian radars did not detect it.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense suggested that it was a Ukrainian drone that was flying to attack targets in the Russian Federation and deviated from its course under the influence of electronic warfare.
Later, the Lithuanian Prime Minister confirmed that it was a Ukrainian drone, apparently one of those that flew to attack Primorsk near St. Petersburg.