On 10 September, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (Council) at the Riga Castle. The meeting addressed the issue of the Russian military unmanned aerial vehicle that crashed in Gaigalava municipality, Rēzekne district, on 7 September.
The Council received an interim report on the investigation carried out by the Ministry of Defence and the National Armed Forces (NBS).
It was agreed that the Ministry of Defence and the NBS, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior, will update and develop the requisite procedures to more effectively counter the security threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Council agreed to accelerate the further development of the National Armed Forces’ military capabilities and the deployment of additional air defence systems to reinforce the protection of the eastern border.
The Council agreed that the Latvian delegation will raise at today's North Atlantic Council meeting and in discussions with allies the need to accelerate the implementation of NATO's advanced air defence system and capability rotational presence on NATO's Eastern flank in line with the decisions taken at the NATO summit.
Given the widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles in Russia’s ongoing war against in Ukraine, similar further incidents cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the residents of Latvia are asked to remain vigilant and to report to national law enforcement institutions and competent authorities.
A comprehensive examination of the findings of the investigation into the incident is scheduled to take place at the next Council meeting.