Latvian Defense Minister Takes Responsibility for Drones Not Downed and Is Ready to Resign
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds declared his readiness to bear political responsibility for the incident that occurred on the night of May 7, 2026. Then several unmanned aerial vehicles violated the country’s airspace from Russia, but were not destroyed in time by air defense forces.
The official emphasized that he would respect any decision of the Seimas, in particular regarding his possible resignation, which was initiated by opposition parties.
The issue of neutralizing air threats is the direct responsibility of both the military leadership and him personally. One of the drones fell on the territory of an oil storage facility in the city of Rezekne, damaging empty fuel tanks. The explosion caused a fire, which was extinguished by rescue services.
“The drones must be shot down — this is primarily the responsibility of the head of the armed forces and mine as a political leader. I take full responsibility. Therefore, I respect the opposition’s proposal and will also respect the decision of the Seimas in this situation,” Andris Spruds emphasized.The minister added that the ability of any state to shoot down small targets is not absolute and depends on many factors. In particular, when making decisions to open fire, the risks to the civilian population in the event of falling debris are taken into account. An investigation into the origin of the devices is currently underway. According to the department’s preliminary version, these could have been Ukrainian drones that lost their orientation due to electronic warfare while performing tasks on the territory of the aggressor country.
“This ability can never be absolute in any country. Our task is to improve the ability to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles,” the Minister of Defense summarized.Against the background of the incident, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the temporary charge d’affaires of Russia to deliver a note of protest. Official Riga condemned the systematic violation of security norms in the region, which is a direct consequence of Russian aggression. The situation in Latgale remains under increased control of the National Armed Forces and NATO allies.
