Latvian Defense Minister Ready to Resign for Failure to Down Ukrainian Drones

Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds stated that he was prepared to resign after Ukrainian drones entered the country's airspace and were not intercepted. One of the drones later crashed on the territory of an oil facility in Rezekne.

Minister Accepts Responsibility

The head of Latvia's Defense Ministry said he takes full responsibility for the incident. Speaking to Latvian public television LSM, Spruds acknowledged that the military should have neutralized the drones.

"The drone needed to be shot down — this is first and foremost the responsibility of the commander of the armed forces and mine as the political leader.”

Spruds added that he respects the opposition's demand for his resignation and would accept any decision made by the Latvian parliament, the Saeima.

Why the Drones Were Not Shot Down

Earlier, Latvia's Ministry of Defense explained that the drones were not intercepted because of safety concerns. Military officials reportedly could not guarantee that destroying the UAVs would not endanger civilians or critical infrastructure on the ground.

The incident occurred during the night of May 7. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian military forces detected a group of six drones in Latvian airspace. Moscow claimed the drones had originally been targeting civilian infrastructure near St. Petersburg.

One of the UAVs later crashed on the territory of an oil storage facility in Rēzekne. Sprūds also stated that, according to preliminary assessments, the drones may have been directed by the Ukrainian side toward targets inside Russia.

Diplomatic Fallout Between Latvia and Russia

Following the incident, Latvia's Foreign Ministry summoned Russian chargé d'affaires Dmitry Kasatkin and handed him a formal protest note.

The Latvian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the conflict in Ukraine is creating growing security risks for the entire region.

The Kremlin responded by stating that European countries should "broaden their perspective” before automatically linking drone-related incidents to Russia.

Growing Security Concerns in the Baltic Region

The incident has intensified debate in Latvia over national air defense readiness and the broader security risks facing NATO's eastern flank. The appearance of drones inside Latvian airspace — and the inability or unwillingness to intercept them — has become a politically sensitive issue amid the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Opposition parties have already begun using the incident to criticize the government's security policies, while military analysts warn that similar incidents could become more frequent as the regional conflict escalates.