Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds stepped down on Sunday, following a pair of drone incursions that crossed into the Baltic state from Russia and briefly ignited an oil depot. The resignation came after Prime Minister Evika Silina publicly declared that Spruds had “lost (her) trust and that of the public.”
In a statement posted on X, Silina argued that anti-drone systems had not been deployed swiftly enough to counter Thursday’s incident. “The drone incident that occurred this week clearly demonstrated that the political leadership of the defence sector has failed to fulfill its promise of safe skies over our country,” she wrote. “That is an enormous responsibility that demands clear results.”
Latvia, one of NATO’s highest spenders in relative terms, allocates nearly 5 percent of its GDP to defence. The country’s military has repeatedly warned that as long as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, similar incidents involving foreign unmanned aircraft entering Latvian airspace remain possible.
Drone Incursion and Oil Depot Fire
On Thursday, two drones crossed from Russian territory into Latvia. A fire broke out at an oil depot but was quickly extinguished by firefighters, according to national police. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attributed the incursion to “Russian electronic warfare,” suggesting that Moscow’s jamming or spoofing of drone navigation systems had caused the aircraft to stray off course.
Latvia and Lithuania have since called on NATO to strengthen air defence across the Baltic region. The incident is the latest in a series of drone incursions into the three Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Several drones from both Russia and Ukraine have crashed in the area, highlighting the spillover effects of the conflict on NATO’s eastern flank.
Colonel Raivis Melnis has been named as Spruds’s successor, Silina announced. Melnis, a career officer, will take over the defence portfolio at a time when the Baltic states are pushing for a more robust NATO presence and faster deployment of counter-drone technologies.
The resignation underscores the political sensitivity of airspace violations in the Baltics, where memories of Soviet occupation remain vivid. Latvia, along with Estonia and Lithuania, has been among the most vocal advocates for increased defence spending and NATO reinforcement along the alliance’s eastern border. The European Parliament recently sought a 10 percent boost for the 2028-2034 EU budget, prioritising cohesion and defence, a move that aligns with Baltic security concerns.
Meanwhile, the broader context of the war continues to shape European security debates. EU foreign ministers have tackled sanctions on Russia, and the EU defence chief has warned that Russia still outpaces Europe in military production. The drone incursion into Latvia serves as a stark reminder that the conflict’s consequences are not confined to Ukraine’s borders.
