Latvia says downed drone was Ukrainian, strayed from Belarus

A drone shot down by NATO fighter jets over Latvia last week was a Ukrainian model, the Latvian military said on Thursday.

The drone strayed into Latvian airspace from neighbouring Belarus, most likely as a result of Russian electronic warfare, the military said.

The statement did not disclose further details about the type or model of the unmanned aircraft, citing consideration for the "planned defence activities and capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces."

Italian Eurofighter jets shot down the drone on Friday in the Balvi region in north-eastern Latvia, around 20 kilometres from the town of the same name.

Soldiers subsequently combed the crash site and carried out controlled detonations of hazardous debris. Other parts of the drone were examined by experts.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, there have been several drone incidents in Latvia, which borders Russia.

During Ukrainian attacks on targets in north-western Russia, misdirected unmanned aircraft have on multiple occasions strayed into Latvian airspace and crashed. NATO jets shot down a misdirected drone over Latvia in early June.