Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds stepped down from his position on Sunday, following a controversial incident where Ukrainian drones crossed into the country and struck oil storage tanks.
The resignation came after Prime Minister Evika Silina called for Spruds to leave his post, criticizing the government’s slow response in setting up anti-drone defense systems. Silina has named army colonel Raivis Melnis as Spruds’ replacement.
The incident occurred Thursday when two unmanned aircraft crossed over from Russian territory and exploded at a Latvian oil storage facility. The strike prompted both Latvia and neighboring Lithuania to request enhanced NATO air defense capabilities for their region.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed Sunday on social media platform X that the drones belonged to Ukraine. He explained that the aircraft ended up in Latvia due to “Russian electronic warfare deliberately diverting Ukrainian drones from their targets in Russia.”
Following the cross-border incident, Sybiha announced Friday that Ukraine is exploring the possibility of sending technical specialists to help improve air defense systems across the Baltic region.
