UAV event in Balvi Municipality, Rugāji area, Latvia on Fri 14th August 2026

Allied fighter jets have shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace in Balvi region, in the north-east of the country, the National Armed Forces (NBS) said in the early hours of Friday, August 14th.

NBS spokesperson Maija Zviedre said: "We know that the drone was shot down in Balvi municipality, in the territory of Rugāji parish, but since the shooting down occurred at a relatively high altitude, fragments of the drone may be scattered over a wide area." 

Sandra Kapteine, head of the Rugāji residents' association, told the LSM Latgale editorial office that the approximate location of the drone's downing was in the vicinity of Lake Boževa, though this has yet to be confirmed. If accurate, it means the drone was downed approximately 20 kilometers from the nearest city, Balvi. 

The NBS reminds the public that if they see a suspicious object, they should not approach it, but should report it to the responsible services by calling 112.

An 'orange' airspace alert had been been declared in Augšdaugava, Preiļi, Rēzekne, Balvi and Alūksne regions shortly before 04:00, but was lifted an hour later.

A mobile phone broadcasting alert was sent to residents in those areas, giving them an early morning wake-up call.

"We inform you that the threat in the airspace has ended. Allied fighters have successfully shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle entering the airspace!" said an NBS update.

On August 1st the Baltic air policing mission which has stationed NATO interceptors in Estonia and Lithuania over the last two decades on a rotational basis was redesignated as an air defence mission. The Turkish Air Force is currently deployed in Estonia while Italy leads the mission in Lithuania.

The alerts briefly forced pilgrims gathering in Aglona to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven on August 15th to seek shelter, as shown by pictures from LTV.

The precise origin of the drone is yet to be established, but it may be worthy of note that Ukraine launched numerous drone attacks against aggressor state Russia overnight, including targets in Leningrad oblast. In the past, Ukrainian drones have been deflected off course by Russian counter-measures towards Latvian territory. However, Russian claims that Ukraininan drones are launched from Latvian territory are not true. 

The first such drone incident this year was on the night of March 25 , when a Ukrainian drone crashed in Krāslava region. In May, people in Latgale received a total of nine warnings, four of them within three days. In one of the cases, residents of several Vidzeme regions were also warned. In most cases, drones were either not confirmed or quickly left it.

However, on the night of May 7, two drones crashed into an empty oil base in Rēzekne. One drone also crashed and exploded in Lake Drīdzis.

On June 8, 2026, Allied fighter jets from France shot down a drone that had entered Latvian airspace for the first time. The drone was shot down in the area between Rēzekne and Kārsava, but its wreckage has not been found