Фото: facebook.com/Aizsardzibasministrija
An unmanned aerial vehicle fell into Lake Drīdzis in Kombuļi Parish of Krāslava Municipality in Latvia and exploded, Delfi reports. Local residents reported the incident at around 8:00 a.m. today. No one was injured, but fish in the lake died.
Police arrived at the scene and discovered possible drone debris. Additional forces were deployed to inspect the extensive area, including personnel from the State Fire and Rescue Service with a boat, units of the National Armed Forces and additional police drones. Residents have been asked not to approach the site and to report any discovered debris.
Latvia’s National Armed Forces told the LETA news agency that sensors did not detect the drone entering the country’s territory, which is why no SMS alerts were sent to the public.
In recent months, residents of Latgale and Vidzeme have received alerts from the warning system related to drones approaching or entering Latvian airspace, allegedly linked to the Russia-Ukraine war. In several cases, such drones also exploded on Latvian territory, including an incident on May 7 at a minimally used oil depot in Rēzekne. This led first to the resignation of the defence minister and then to the collapse of the entire government of Evika Siliņa. Negotiations are currently underway in the country to form a new cabinet.