A French Rafale fighter jet assigned to NATO’s air policing mission in the Baltic states shot down a drone that had entered Latvian airspace.
According to the Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi, the incident prompted Latvian authorities to issue air threat alerts to residents living near the borders with Russia and Belarus.
According to the Latvian Armed Forces, the unmanned vehicle entered the country as a result of Russian electronic warfare activities that allegedly altered its flight path. After the threat was identified, aircraft participating in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission were scrambled and carried out the interception.
According to former Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds, the drone was shot down by a French Rafale operating from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania as part of NATO’s permanent mission to protect Baltic airspace.
+ Click here to watch the interception video
The incident comes amid a series of drone-related events that have seen unmanned aircraft cross the airspace of NATO countries on the alliance’s eastern flank in recent months. In previous cases, drones diverted by electronic interference were also detected in Latvia and Estonia.
📍Latvia | Destruction of a drone by Rafale fighters 🇫🇷💥
➡️ A drone flies over Latvian territory 🇱🇻
➡️ Alert scramble of French fighters 🇫🇷 participating in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission from Šiauliai Air Base 🇱🇹
➡️ Identification and destruction… pic.twitter.com/NFIMSP7Ibl— French Armed Forces – Military Operations (@EtatMajorFR) June 8, 2026
+ Video: Harrier II makes farewell flight and clears the way for F-35B dominance
Source and images: French Armed Forces – Military Operations – X @EtatMajorFR | Marko Mihkelson – X @markomihkelson. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
