Drones Shot Down Latvia’s Government. How Others Can Avoid Such a Fate

Prime Minister's resignation is a case for embedding a strong democratic resolve in EU defence

19 May 2026

Roberts Kits

Resilient Futures Fellow

Two Ukrainian drones crashed in an empty fuel depot in the Latvian city of Rēzekne, hitting the final nail in the coffin of the Latvian government. Other EU countries should watch with caution – and not only in matters of air defence.

In the past week and a half, Latvia has been shaken by a period of turbulences. It all started on 7 May 2026, when two Russia-bound Ukrainian drones faced electromagnetic interference and ultimately crashed 50 kilometres from Latvia’s eastern border.

Although such incidents across the region have become anything but rare, this particular one led to the dismissal of Latvia’s Social Democratic Defence Minister Andris Sprūds (Progressives) and, later, the resignation of the Prime Minister Evika Siliņa herself.

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Roberts Kits

Resilient Futures Fellow

Roberts Kits is a Resilient Futures Fellow 2026 at Visegrad Insight. He is a researcher at the Latvian Strategy and Economic Research Institute (LaSER Think Tank) and a doctoral researcher at the University of Latvia, focusing on defence innovation, regional security, and societal resilience. His recent publications explore defence cooperation in the Baltic region and the evolving architecture of civil defence.

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