Latvia closes airspace on Russian and Belarusian border
Latvia will close the airspace on its eastern border with Belarus and Russia for a week in the wake of the incursion by Russian drones over Poland, the country’s defence minister announced on Thursday.
The order will apply until September 18 with the possibility of an extension, Defence Minister Andris Spruds said at a press conference in Riga.
Spruds said that the incursion by the Russian drones was a blatant violation of NATO airspace, and that Latvia must respond.
He reassured residents there was currently no direct threat, but maintained preventative measures were necessary.
‘Russian unmanned aerial vehicles in NATO airspace are a warning signal and we must do everything we can to prevent an escalation of drone attacks,’ Spruds noted.
Warsaw on Wednesday morning reported that 19 drones had entered Polish airspace during overnight Russian airstrikes on Ukraine. Some of the drones were brought down by Polish and Dutch fighter jets.
The incident marks the first time Russian drones have been shot down over NATO territory.
Russia’s Defence Ministry responded with a Telegram post on Wednesday saying ‘there were no plans to target infrastructure in Poland.’
source: dpa
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