Illustrative photo © State Emergency Service of Ukraine . Wreckage of an unmanned aerial vehicle was found at the scene.
In Latvia, an unidentified flying apparatus plunged into Lake Dridzis, situated in the northeastern part of the country, at a distance of 20 km from the Belarusian border, at approximately 8 a.m. on Saturday. This is the deepest lake in Latvia. The drone detonated upon making contact with the water surface, as reported by Delfi on May 23. There were no casualties.
The State Police promptly arrived at the specified location and initiated an investigation. Fragments of an unpiloted aircraft were discovered at the site, but its origin remains unknown.
The area being examined is extensive; therefore, extra units have been mobilized to inspect the locality, encompassing an additional State Police team with a drone, personnel from the State Fire and Rescue Service in a boat, and the National Armed Forces.
According to a statement released by the police around 5:00 p.m., emergency services are presently active at the location, and considering the significant area requiring inspection, the completion time is presently undetermined.
A criminal inquiry has been commenced regarding the event under Article 10 of the Criminal Code – offenses against the government, according to law enforcement.
Sensors did not detect the drone's incursion into Latvian territory, resulting in the absence of a radio alert.
It’s important to recall that this is not the first occurrence of drones appearing in Latvia. Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced his intention to resign on Sunday, May 10, after a pair of UAVs encroached upon Latvian airspace on May 7, with one of them crashing into an unoccupied oil storage facility in Rezekne.
Previously, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina criticized Spruds for a lack of deployment of defense systems. She declared that the defense minister had forfeited both her faith and the public's confidence. Following Spruds' resignation, Latvian Army Colonel Raivis Melnis was instated as Latvia’s new defense minister.