A French Air and Space Force Rafale operating under NATO command shot down an unidentified drone after it crossed into Latvian airspace near the eastern border. The engagement shifts Baltic Air Policing from routine air sovereignty patrols into a live counter-drone response on NATO’s northeastern flank. The interception followed air warnings in eastern Latvia, where authorities told residents to shelter indoors as NATO fighters responded to the aerial threat. Sky News reported that French NATO jets shot down the drone, while a Latvian military chief said the incursion was linked to Russian electronic warfare, without confirming the drone’s origin. French Rafales are currently tied to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing rotation from Šiauliai, Lithuania, a mission tasked with protecting Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian airspace. Latvia’s armed forces have also reinforced eastern border air defenses after repeated unmanned aerial vehicle incidents. Read more.
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