NATO fighter jets were scrambled across Baltic airspace after unidentified drones, believed to be Ukrainian and diverted by Russian electronic jamming, repeatedly entered the airspace of Latvia and Lithuania amid Kyiv’s expanding long-range strikes deep inside Russia.
The latest incursions came as Ukraine launched one of its most ambitious drone campaigns of the war, targeting sites nearly 1,000 kilometres inside Russian territory. Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Syzran in Russia’s Samara region, causing major damage and reportedly killing two people. Satellite imagery also indicated the destruction of rare Russian aircraft at the Yeysk airfield, another strategic site located far from the frontline.
The attacks are part of a broader Ukrainian operation that has seen more than 1,000 drones launched across Russian territory in recent weeks, increasing anxiety even in areas far from the battlefield, including Moscow.
However, the campaign has also triggered growing alarm among NATO members bordering Russia and Belarus. Latvia confirmed that an unidentified drone entered its airspace on May 21, prompting authorities to issue air alerts across several regions for the third consecutive day. NATO aircraft assigned to Baltic air policing missions were immediately deployed.
Residents were urged to remain indoors and follow the “two-walls rule,” a civil defence precaution aimed at minimising exposure to blasts. Latvia’s armed forces said additional air defence units had been deployed along the eastern border.
Similar incidents have been reported in Lithuania and Estonia. In Lithuania, a suspected drone incursion temporarily halted flights from Vilnius airport and forced politicians to take shelter. Estonia earlier confirmed that a NATO fighter jet shot down a Ukrainian drone after it crossed into Estonian airspace.
Baltic and European officials believe Russian electronic warfare systems are interfering with Ukrainian drone navigation, unintentionally redirecting them into NATO territory. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was among the leaders who blamed Russian jamming for the incidents.
The repeated incursions have intensified political tensions in the Baltic region. In Latvia, the controversy contributed to a political crisis that culminated in Prime Minister Evika Siliņa announcing her resignation earlier this month.
Despite backing Ukraine’s war effort, Baltic officials have urged Kyiv to ensure greater precision in its long-range drone operations to avoid escalation inside NATO territory.
Diana George is Associate Editor at Times Now, with over a decade of experience covering national and international news, crime, and local politics. S...View More
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