By Two NATO member countries, Romania and Latvia, reported violations of their airspace by Russian drones on Sunday, raising tensions in the region amid ongoing Russian attacks on neighboring Ukraine.
Romania’s Ministry of National Defense announced that a Russian drone entered its airspace early Sunday morning during Moscow’s strikes on Ukrainian civilian targets and port infrastructure along the Danube River. In response, Romania deployed F-16 warplanes to monitor its airspace and issued text alerts to residents in two eastern regions.
Romanian authorities are investigating a potential “impact zone” in an uninhabited area near the Romanian-Ukrainian border. No immediate reports of casualties or damage were reported.
Later on Sunday, Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Sprūds revealed that a Russian drone had crashed near the town of Rezekne the previous day. Sprūds suggested the drone likely strayed into Latvian airspace from neighboring Belarus, a close ally of Russia.
Rezekne, with a population of over 25,000, is located approximately 55 kilometers (34 miles) west of Russia and 75 kilometers (47 miles) from Belarus.
While such incursions into Latvian airspace are rare, Romania has reported drone fragments on its territory several times since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, most recently in July.
NATO’s outgoing deputy secretary-general, Mircea Geoană, condemned Russia’s violation of Romanian airspace on social media platform X, stating, “While we have no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia against Allies, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”
Latvia’s military said there were no indications of intentional action by Russia or Belarus in sending the drone into their country. Defense Minister Sprūds downplayed the incident, confirming no casualties or property damage, but acknowledged it as a “serious incident” and a reminder of the challenges posed by neighboring countries.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the incursions “a reminder (that) the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation go beyond Ukraine’s borders,” urging maximum support for Ukraine from NATO allies.
These airspace violations occurred as Russian forces continued their attacks on Ukrainian territory. In the northern city of Sumy, a nighttime Russian airstrike killed two civilians and wounded four others, including two children. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have struck foreign pro-Kyiv fighters in a nearby village.
Russian forces also shelled areas in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, resulting in multiple civilian casualties. The death toll from a massive Russian missile strike on a military academy and hospital in Poltava last Tuesday rose to 58, with over 320 wounded.
As the conflict continues, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested that future peace talks should include Russia, a stance he says is shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, Zelenskyy has not immediately commented on Scholz’s remarks.
