Foreign Drone Wreckage Found in Alūksne Municipality Forest; Army Opens Internal Review

Wreckage of a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle was found on Saturday, 24 October, in a forest in Liepna parish, Alūksne municipality, in Latvia's eastern border area. The drone likely came down as early as 18 October, when an explosion-like noise was heard nearby. Latvia's National Armed Forces (NBS) have opened an internal review of the incident's circumstances and the decisions taken, since the drone's fall was initially not confirmed.

Discovery and investigation

The State Police said they received a report on Saturday morning about possible drone debris in the forest. Officers reached the hard-to-access woodland and confirmed the information. The Ministry of Defence stated that the object is a foreign-made unmanned aircraft. Police finished work at the site on Saturday evening, though the investigation continues. A criminal case was opened under Chapter 10 of the Criminal Law, "Crimes against the State". Police thanked the resident who reported it immediately.

Soldiers of the explosive ordnance disposal company of the 54th Combat Support Battalion, 2nd Vidzeme Brigade of the National Guard, removed the wreckage. According to Eduards Voilaks, who manages buildings and territory in Liepna parish, the drone fell in a state-owned forest.

What happened earlier

On 18 October the NBS received information about the noise and began analysing airspace monitoring data, which suggested an unidentified object may have moved through Latvian airspace. The search continued on 19 October but was halted after two days because the available information was insufficient to confirm a crash or locate the object. At the time, the NBS publicly said the report had not been confirmed.

The NBS explained that the data then available did not allow the drone to be clearly identified or a threat confirmed, so the criteria for issuing a cell broadcast alert were not met. No civilians were hurt and no civilian infrastructure was damaged; no further threat has been identified.

The NBS stressed that Russia's war in Ukraine creates security risks in the region and that Russian electronic warfare can disrupt drones' communication and navigation, so similar incidents cannot be ruled out. Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava (National Alliance) praised the police work and urged residents to report useful information.