NATO scrambled fighter jets in an emergency response; Citizens warned: "Take cover immediately" PHOTO/VIDEO

The incident prompted authorities in several regions to declare air alerts, and NATO fighter jets were scrambled amid growing concerns that Russia is allegedly interfering with Ukrainian drones and redirecting them toward NATO territory, according to The Kyiv Independent.

The Latvian National Armed Forces confirmed that at least one drone was detected in the country’s airspace.

In response to the threat, NATO air policing fighter jets stationed in the Baltic region were activated, Index reports.

Residents in affected areas were instructed to remain indoors and take shelter inside buildings, following the “two walls rule,” a civil protection guideline intended to reduce exposure to explosions.

Drone incursions have become an extremely sensitive issue in the Baltic states after a Ukrainian drone crashed into an oil facility in eastern Latvia on May 7. It is suspected that it was redirected by Russian countermeasures.

The incident triggered a political crisis that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Evika Siliņa on May 14.

Similar incidents in Estonia and Lithuania

Similar events have also occurred in neighboring countries. In Estonia, on May 18, a NATO fighter jet reportedly shot down a Ukrainian drone after it entered Estonian airspace.

Authorities also suspected that Russia interfered with the aircraft’s systems and redirected it. Lithuania also declared an air alert on May 20 after a suspicious drone crossed into its airspace from Belarus, marking the first such nationwide alert in the country.

Following the incident, Remigijus Bridikis, head of Lithuania’s State Security Department, warned that the security situation in the country is “tightening” due to repeated drone incursions.

Russia’s claims and reactions

Russia has again repeated previously denied claims that Ukraine may soon use Latvia and other Baltic states as a “launchpad” for attacks on Russia, raising fears of potential escalation in the region, according to The Guardian.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, in a lengthy post on its Telegram channel, stated that Ukrainian forces were allegedly preparing strikes on Russia from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, citing its foreign intelligence service.

No evidence was provided to support these claims. The statement also listed five Latvian military bases where it claimed Ukrainian drones were located.

Moscow also criticized what it called “naive” Latvian leadership for allegedly allowing such operations. However, these claims have been repeatedly denied by top Latvian officials, including the president and prime minister, as well as by Kyiv.

“Membership in NATO will not protect accomplices of terrorists from rightful retaliation,” the Russian ministry stated, repeating threats first made earlier this week at a UN Security Council meeting.

Those remarks were strongly condemned by the United States and the European Union.