Russian drone crashed in Latvia was carrying explosives, says military

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – The Russian unmanned aerial vehicle that crashed in Latvia on Saturday was a "Shahed" type drone carrying explosives, a Latvian armed forces commander said on Monday.

However, the drone was not targeting Latvia specifically, but rather Ukraine, National Armed Forces (NBS) Commander Leonids Kalnins said at a press conference, according to public broadcaster LSM.

The drone was equipped with explosives and crashed in Rezekne municipality’s Gaigalava Parish area, the broadcaster said.

"Shahed" type drones, designed by Iran, are widely used by Russia against Ukraine, it said, adding that all physical evidence at the crash site has been collected and an in-depth analysis of the drone's components is currently underway.

Colonel Viesturs Masulis, another NBS commander flanked by Defense Minister Andris Spruds, also spoke at the press conference, saying that the drone was equipped with an explosive device that was detonated on the ground after the crash.

Spruds also agreed that the drone could have been targeting Ukraine.

The minister repeatedly said the debate over whether the drone was maliciously targeting Latvia was secondary, with the primary issue being that Latvian airspace was violated by a drone of an aggressor state, which is how the situation is being assessed.

Masulis added that it is now necessary to investigate why the drone strayed and drifted freely towards Latvia.