Latvia military reports brief airspace intrusion near Belarus and Russia borders

Latvia's armed forces said an unidentified object briefly entered the country's airspace near the borders with Belarus and Russia on Sunday. The military posted a safety alert on the social platform X, urging residents in the area to stay indoors and avoid approaching any low-flying or suspicious objects.

"We inform you that there is a threat in the airspace... If you notice a low-flying or suspicious object, do not approach," the statement read.

Approximately half an hour later, the forces reported that the object had left Latvian airspace and the threat was over. The incident follows reports of Ukrainian military drones straying into the airspace of several NATO states, including Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, raising concerns about the conflict in Ukraine affecting neighboring countries.

Officials noted that some Ukrainian drones have missed intended targets in Russian Baltic Sea oil ports, prompting security alerts in the region. Moscow has accused Kyiv of using NATO airspace for attacks, while Kyiv attributes missed flights to Russian signal jamming. NATO members generally hold Russia responsible for the broader conflict that began with its invasion of Ukraine nearly five years ago.