NATO intercepts drone over Latvia, marking first such Baltic interception

NATO aircraft, including French fighters, shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace during the Baltic Air Policing mission—the first such interception in Latvia. Latvian authorities said the drone was diverted by Russian electronic warfare systems, prompting air raid alerts as NATO scrambled jets to neutralize the threat amid a rise in Baltic drone incursions tied to Russia. The incident follows multiple similar incursions since May and a prior Ukrainian drone incident in Latvia, fueling security debates about the region’s air defenses.