Several drones entered Latvian airspace from the direction of Russian territory early Thursday, with two of them crashing, according to Latvia’s National Armed Forces (NBS).
The incident triggered an emergency response involving the armed forces, State Police, and the State Fire and Rescue Service.
Around 03:30, emergency services received multiple calls to the 112 hotline reporting a possible fire at an oil depot on Komunala Street in the eastern city of Rēzekne. Firefighters later confirmed there was no active blaze but carried out precautionary cooling of a storage tank.
According to Delfi, citing local emergency services, at 04:09, the armed forces issued emergency alerts for residents in Ludza, Balvi, and Rēzekne municipalities, warning of a possible airspace threat.
A second alert followed shortly afterward for Rēzekne.
Residents reported hearing loud engine-like sounds overhead during the night, as well as flashes of light and explosion-like noises.
Authorities later confirmed that one of the drones crashed at the Rēzekne branch of East-West Transit Ltd., striking an empty oil storage tank. The location of the second crash is still being determined.
Local officials said emergency services also responded to reports of a possible explosion near an area close to a railway line and a Maxima supermarket.
Deputy State Police Chief Andris Zellis confirmed the incident is being treated as a criminal case, while searches continue for debris from the second drone. He added that the situation at the site had been stabilized and there was no ongoing threat.
Residents were urged to stay indoors during the alert, keep windows and doors closed, and avoid approaching any low-flying or suspicious objects.
The incident comes as Russia reported one of the largest drone attacks of the war overnight, claiming its air defenses intercepted 347 Ukrainian UAVs across multiple regions.
Russian authorities said the barrage included strikes on a military logistics facility near Moscow, with explosions and air defense activity reported in several regions including the capital’s outskirts, Bryansk, Tver, Rostov, Samara, and Tula.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said drones were detected over 20 regions as well as occupied Crimea and the Black, Azov, and Caspian seas, while civil aviation was heavily disrupted with dozens of airports temporarily restricted.
The Kremlin has not confirmed damage to military infrastructure, but officials acknowledged widespread air defense activity during what appears to be one of the most extensive coordinated drone assaults in recent months.