Latvia ended an air-threat warning for the eastern municipalities of Balvi and Ludza early on Tuesday. NATO air-policing fighters were activated and residents received mobile alerts. Preliminary military information indicated that an object had fallen in Balvi, prompting a ground search to establish its location and the circumstances. The announcement did not identify the object’s origin or operator.
Latvia lifted an air-threat warning for Balvi and Ludza, two municipalities in the country’s east, early on Tuesday. Fighter aircraft assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Baltic air-policing mission were activated in response to the threat. Residents received cell-broadcast messages on their mobile phones during the alert.[1], [2]
The armed forces said preliminary information indicated that an object had fallen in Balvi municipality. A ground search was continuing to establish its location and clarify what had happened. The announcement did not conclusively identify the object’s origin, operator or mission. The lifting of the warning was accompanied by continuing work on the ground.[1], [2]
Military authorities asked people who came across a suspicious object or debris to keep away, leave it untouched and contact emergency services. The armed forces also said they continually monitor Latvian airspace with NATO allies. Additional units had strengthened air defence along the eastern border.[1]
Latvia has experienced several earlier airspace incidents this year. A drone fell in Kraslava municipality in March. Residents of Latgale, a region of eastern Latvia, received repeated warnings in May; in several cases aircraft did not enter national airspace or left it quickly. Drones also hit an empty oil facility in Rezekne during a May incident.[1]
