Threat from Russia: Latvia considers closing airspace near eastern border
Kyiv • UNN
Latvia is considering closing its airspace near the eastern border due to increasing threats, including drone provocations. This will allow avoiding risky routes for civil aviation and speed up military response.
Near Latvia's eastern border, the country's armed forces propose closing the airspace. Such a decision could be a response to potential threats from Russia, for example, drone provocations like those that occurred in Poland. This is reported by Delfi, writes UNN.
Details
Commander of the National Armed Forces Kaspars Pudāns stated in a comment to Latvian Television that the restrictions would be for several days, and longer than usual. According to him, closing the airspace would allow civilian aviation to avoid risky routes and enable the military to make quicker decisions in case of threats.
Pudāns also noted that Latvia is constantly discussing with partners the possibility of deploying allied fighter jets at Lielvārde airfield – at least on a rotational basis. He suggested that the incident with Russian drones in Poland this week could push allies towards more decisive steps.
Latvia allocates millions of euros for American weapons for Ukraine10.09.25, 06:24 • 5418 views
Regarding the possibility of closing ground border crossings with Russia and Belarus, Pudāns reminded that Latvia already strengthened control last year and left only three checkpoints open, which can be closed within a few hours if necessary.
Although no activity from Russian "Zapad" exercises has been recorded near the Latvian border so far, two training grounds are operating near the border in Poland, which creates a potential risk of provocations.
On land, the probability of unexpected incidents is significantly lower than in the sky. In airspace, the speed of events is completely different, and that is where preventive measures make the most sense
Earlier, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds instructed the armed forces to assess the feasibility of restricting airspace use after incidents with Russian drones in Poland. The country's government is also considering additional security measures on the eastern border.
Recall
After Russian drones entered Polish airspace during a massive attack on Ukraine, world leaders condemned such an act and called for more support for Ukraine and a harsh response to Russia's actions.