Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigned on May 10 after Ukrainian drones entered Latvian airspace from Russia, leading Prime Minister Silina to withdraw her trust in his leadership.
Airspace Violation in Rzeżyca
On Thursday, May 7, the Latvian military reported that two drones entered the country’s airspace. The incident resulted in damage to four empty oil tanks in Rzeżyca.
No fire broke out, although measures were required to cool one of the tanks. No injuries or deaths were reported.
Political Fallout and Resignation
Minister of Defense Andris Spruds resigned on Sunday, May 10, following the incident involving Ukrainian drones arriving from Russia. Prime Minister Silina has appointed Colonel Raivis Melnis as the new minister.
Prime Minister Silina stated on platform X that Spruds lost the trust of the public and the government, noting that the defense sector’s political leadership failed to keep its promise of ensuring secure airspace.
During a hastily called press conference, Spruds stated his desire to protect the Latvian army from being used instrumentally for political goals.
Defense System Failures
General Kaspars Pudans, commander of the Latvian armed forces, assessed that Latvian systems failed by not detecting the drone entering from the Russian side. He announced that the military will investigate whether the current air defense on the eastern border is sufficiently effective.
Ukraine’s Explanation and Cooperation
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha stated that the drone incidents in Latvia resulted from Russian electronic warfare intended to divert Ukrainian drones from their targets in Russia.
Sybiha confirmed Ukraine’s readiness to cooperate with Finland and the Baltic states to prevent similar incidents and declared that Kyiv is prepared to involve its specialists.