A French Rafale fighter jet has shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace. The incident occurred earlier today, with the French Air and Space Force confirming that its Rafales, currently deployed in neighboring Lithuania, were scrambled in response to the drone incursion.
The drone was identified before one of the fighters shot it down over an uninhabited area. This is not the first time a NATO fighter has shot down a drone in the Baltic region, but it is the first time such an incident has been captured on camera.
The Latvian Armed Forces warned residents in the area to seek shelter indoors and provided details of the shootdown, noting that a yellow alert was originally issued for the Ludza, Balvi, and Aluksne districts. The incident underscores the growing reality of the drone threat to NATO and the importance of the Baltic Air Policing mission.
