Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds resigned after an incident involving Ukrainian drones that entered Latvia from Russia and hit oil storage tanks. Prime Minister Evika Silina said anti-drone systems had not been deployed quickly enough.
Reuters reports that on Sunday the Latvian prime minister demanded Spruds’ resignation and appointed Latvian army colonel Raivis Melnis as the new defence minister.
The incident occurred on Thursday, when two drones crossed the border from Russia and exploded at an oil storage facility in Latvia.
Following the incident, Latvia and Lithuania called on NATO to strengthen air defence systems in the Baltic region.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that the drones were Ukrainian and had entered Latvia because “Russian electronic warfare deliberately diverted Ukrainian drones from their targets in Russia.”
According to Sybiha, Ukraine is also considering sending experts to help strengthen air security over the Baltic states.
