Latvia’s military said in a statement that multiple unmanned aerial vehicles crossed into the airspace of the European Union and NATO member state, which shares a border with Russia.“Several unmanned aerial vehicles entered Latvian airspace,” the armed forces said, adding that two of the drones crashed on Latvian territory.

National police said one drone fell at an oil depot in Rezekne, near Latvia’s eastern frontier, causing a fire that firefighters later extinguished. Authorities did not report casualties or major infrastructure damage.The Latvian army warned that similar incidents could recur while Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.

“As long as Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, it is possible that such incidents will be repeated, when a foreign unmanned aircraft enters Latvian airspace or approaches it,” the military said.The incident marks the latest security concern for the Baltic states since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Stray or downed drones linked to the conflict have periodically entered or crashed in the territories of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, all former Soviet republics that are now members of NATO and the European Union.The Baltic region has heightened air defense monitoring and border surveillance amid fears that the Ukraine conflict could spill into neighboring territories through military accidents or escalating regional tensions.

Russia has not publicly commented on the incident.

Vladimir region governor Alexander Avdeev said on Telegram that “enemy drones attacked civilian infrastructure,” adding that two adults and their seven-year-old son were killed when a drone struck a residential building.

He said a five-year-old girl was hospitalized with burns.Russian officials said the scale of aerial activity was among the largest reported in recent months, with air defence systems engaged across multiple regions.

Some of the drones were approaching Moscow, leading aviation authorities to briefly suspend operations at the capital’s airports as a precautionary measure.No immediate comment was issued by Ukrainian authorities regarding the reported strikes.

Both sides have intensified drone warfare as part of the broader conflict, frequently targeting infrastructure and logistical nodes.

The incident underscores the continued expansion of aerial attacks beyond frontline areas, with civilian regions increasingly affected as both Russia and Ukraine deploy long-range unmanned systems.