Russian drones crossed into two NATO countries over the weekend, authorities said, in the latest set of incidents of the war in Ukraine reaching the alliance’s eastern flank.
Latvia’s government said on Sunday that a Russian drone had fallen over the east of the country the previous day, likely after crossing the border into the NATO nation from Russian ally, Belarus.
“This situation is a confirmation that we must continue the work started on strengthening Latvia’s eastern border, including the development of anti-aircraft defense capabilities and electronic warfare capabilities, which allow us to limit the operation of drones of various uses,” Riga’s defense minister, Andris Sprūds, said in a statement.
Separately on Sunday, Romania’s foreign ministry said “criminal” Russian airborne drones had violated Romania’s airspace while targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.
Crash site of a Russian drone in a forest outside the village of Plauru, Danube Delta, 300 kilometers east of Bucharest, Romania, on September 11, 2023. Russian drones crossed into two NATO countries over the weekend, authorities said, in the latest set of incidents of the war in Ukraine reaching the alliance’s eastern flank.
MIHAI BARBU/AFP via Getty Images
“We strongly condemn these violations and urge Russia to stop its reckless escalation,” Bucharest said in a statement on social media.
Romania’s defense ministry said Russia had attacked Ukrainian territory close to Romania’s border early on Sunday, and two Romanian F-16s took off from an airbase in the east shortly before 2:30 a.m. local time to “monitor the air situation.”
Bucharest tracked a drone entering Romanian airspace before heading towards Ukraine, the ministry said. “The data available at this moment indicated the probability of the existence of an impact zone on the national territory, in an uninhabited area, in the vicinity of Periprava town,” it added.
Periprava sits directly on the Romanian border with Ukraine.
Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two and a half years ago, NATO nations close to the border with Russia have moved to bolster the alliance’s eastern flank.
Russian drone fragments have been found in Romania several times, including in July this year after Moscow attacked the Ukrainian port of Izmail, close to Romanian territory across the Danube River.
Although the drones straying into NATO territory have not been deemed intentional attacks, the incidents stoke the fire of tensions between the alliance and Moscow, at its worst point in decades.
“While we have no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia against Allies, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous,” said NATO’s deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană.
Incidents that were “unthinkable” three years ago “are now treated as routine,” Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said in a post to X on Sunday.
“Nothing should be landing on Ukraine, or Latvia, or anywhere on NATO territory, but this is the new reality our inaction has allowed to emerge. Lithuania will of course be supporting a strong allied response,” Landsbergis added.
Referring to the drones reported by Latvia and Romania, Ukraine’s new foreign minister,Andrii Sybiha, described the incidents as a “stark reminder that Russia’s aggressive actions extend beyond Ukraine.”
In late August, Poland said a drone had likely entered Polish airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine, although Warsaw said last week there was a “very high probability there was no violation” of the NATO country’s airspace.
Belarusian authorities said last week that drones had violated Minsk’s airspace on September 5, adding that air defenses had destroyed the uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). Belarus, a key Russian ally, did not specify whether the drones were Russian or Ukrainian.
The Belarusian war monitoring group, Hajun, described the drones as Iranian-designed Shaheds, which have been extensively used by Moscow against Kyiv. Newsweek could not independently verify the reports.
