RUGĀJI-BUCHAREST, 14th August, 2026 (WAM) -- An Italian NATO fighter jet shot down an unidentified drone that entered Latvian airspace during Ukrainian attacks on Russian ports, while Romania's Ministry of Defence said another drone crashed in a forested area near the village of Luncavița in the south-east of the country, five kilometres from the border with Ukraine, without causing any apparent damage.
Latvian forces launched a search for the drone's wreckage at around midday in a wooded area near the village of Rugāji, about 35 kilometres from the border with Russia. Iveta Bērziņa, a spokesperson for the Latvian military, told the country's public broadcaster that no information could yet be provided about the drone's origin because the area had not yet been searched.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said two Italian Eurofighter jets took off from Lithuania, while two Turkish F-16s were scrambled from a base in Estonia after the drone was detected in Latvian airspace. One of the Eurofighters located and shot down the drone.
Hart confirmed that all the aircraft were operating under NATO command and that an investigation was under way in close coordination with the Latvian authorities. She stressed that the Alliance is ready and able to respond to any potential threats around the clock to protect its territory and people.
The incident in Latvia came amid overnight Ukrainian attacks on Russian ports near St Petersburg. Russian local official Alexander Drozdenko said on Telegram that Russian forces had shot down 15 Ukrainian drones during the attacks. Ukrainian military drones have entered the airspace of Baltic states several times this year.
Romania, also a NATO member, shares a 614-kilometre land border with Ukraine and has repeatedly recorded Russian drones entering its airspace over the past four years, in addition to floating mines in the Black Sea along major trade and energy routes.
The Romanian Defence Ministry has not yet determined the origin of the drone that crashed on its territory.