NATO jets shoot down drone over Latvia amid massive Ukrainian assault on Russia

NATO fighter jets intercepted and destroyed a drone that crossed into Latvian airspace early Friday, as a large-scale Ukrainian drone assault targeted Russia's major Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga and sparked fires at the energy export hub.

Drone Intercepted in Balvi Region

Latvia's Ministry of Defence said on X that "NATO Baltic Air Policing mission fighters were dispatched in reaction to the threat in Latvian airspace," successfully downing the "foreign unmanned aerial vehicle that crossed into Latvia due to Russian electromagnetic warfare." The drone entered the Balvi Municipality, near Latvia's border with Russia, and was likely a Ukrainian drone diverted off course by Russian electronic warfare systems during the overnight attack on the Leningrad region.meduza+2

Latvia's armed forces issued air threat alerts in five border municipalities before later lifting them. Finland also temporarily restricted aviation and maritime traffic in parts of the eastern Gulf of Finland as a precaution, its defence forces said.inkl+1

The incident follows a pattern of increasing drone incursions into NATO member states' airspace. Earlier this week, French fighter jets shot down a drone in Latvia, and in July, Romanian fighter jets downed three drones within three days.thesun

Ust-Luga Port Ablaze

The drone shootdown occurred during a massive Ukrainian assault on Russia's Leningrad region. Leningrad Governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Telegram that a fire broke out at Ust-Luga, Russia's largest Baltic Sea port and a major hub for oil exports, after a drone strike. Drozdenko later said 54 drones were shot down over the region and that the fire had been extinguished with no casualties.meduza+1

Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted 553 Ukrainian drones overnight across 18 regions and Crimea. More than 10 drones headed toward Moscow were also shot down, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.maritimeprofessional+1

Wider Campaign Against Russian Energy

The Ust-Luga strike is part of Ukraine's sustained campaign against Russian oil processing and export infrastructure aimed at denying revenue to Moscow. Ukraine has struck more than a dozen major refineries, causing a domestic fuel crisis in Russia, according to Reuters. On Thursday, Ukrainian drones also hit the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat refinery in Bashkortostan, roughly 1,300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, and a Wildberries logistics facility in the same region.inkl+1

A separate Ukrainian drone attack two days earlier forced the Orsk refinery in the Orenburg region to shut down completely, with repairs expected to take up to six months due to sanctions limiting access to imported equipment.inkl