A French military Rafale fighter jet on Monday shot down a drone that entered Latvia's airspace from Russia, according to the Latvian military.

"Allied fighter jets successfully shoot down a drone flying into Latvian airspace!," the military said in a ​post on X.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze reposted the message, thanking France for shooting down the drone.

The French military jet that shot down the drone is stationed in Siauliai, Lithuania, as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission. Since 2004, the mission has patrolled the skies of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

Lithuanian military spokesperson Gintautas Ciunis told the AFP news agency that the incident happened at around 10 a.m. local time (0800 GMT).

What do we know about the incident?

Earlier on Monday, authorities warned people in several eastern Latvian regions to take shelter indoors due to an impending threat. 

According to the Latvian army, the alert ended when the drone was shot down.

The Latvian Ministry of Defense said there have been no reports of property damage or injuries among local residents.

The military said the drone was a foreign aircraft that ended up in Latvian airspace as a result of "Russian electromagnetic warfare."

Initially, no further details were available.

Drone incidents in the Baltic states

In recent months, Latvia — a NATO and EU member that neighbors both Russia and Belarus — has witnessed an uptick in drone incidents.

Fighting off Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has increased its long-range drone attacks on Russia, including in the Baltic Sea area.

Several Ukrainian drones have strayed into the airspace of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Last month, NATO shot down an alleged Ukrainian drone over Estonia.

Kyiv has accused Russia of interfering with drone paths using electromagnetic warfare.

To date, there has been no substantial damage or loss of life in the region. Nevertheless, these incidents have triggered a political crisis in Latvia, leading to a change in government.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, several Russian drones have also crashed in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Edited by: Natalie Muller

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