Latvian Prime Minister Resigns Amid Political Turmoil Over Drone Incident/Image@ BBC
Latvian Prime Minister, Evika Silina, has stepped down following a political crisis triggered by the incursion of Ukrainian drones into Latvian airspace.
The resignation comes after Silina dismissed Defence Minister, Andris Spruds, last week due to his handling of the situation, appointing a new minister in his place.
In response to Spruds’s dismissal, his party, the Progressives, withdrew their support for Silina’s coalition government, leading to its collapse just months ahead of the scheduled general elections in October.
”Seeing a strong candidate for the post of defence minister, political windbags have chosen a crisis,” Silina stated today.
”I am resigning but I am not backing down.”
The political fallout began on May 7, when three drones entered Latvian airspace, marking the second such incident since early 2026.
Both Latvia and Ukraine have acknowledged that these drones were likely Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) aimed at targets in Russia, with their signals being jammed, causing them to veer off course.
One drone crashed on land, while another collided with an unoccupied oil storage facility near Rezekne. The third drone briefly entered and exited Latvian airspace. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or fatalities.
However, local residents criticized the official response, claiming that alerts were delayed and inadequate, with the cell broadcast system not activated for an hour after one drone’s crash.
Following the incident, Silina remarked, “Something went wrong. We cannot afford for this situation to continue.”
She indicated that she had requested Spruds’s resignation due to broader concerns regarding the Latvian defense sector.
Silina emphasized that Latvia allocates 5 percent of its GDP to national defense, underscoring the need for greater accountability and tangible results from the defense sector.
President Edgars Rinkevics announced that he would decide on the swift formation of a new government by May 15.
Evika Silina became Latvia’s prime minister in September 2023, leading a coalition of four parties. Her administration has been unwavering in its support for Ukraine amid ongoing tensions with Russia.
Like its Baltic neighbors, Lithuania and Estonia, Latvia is increasingly apprehensive about potential Russian hostilities and has significantly enhanced its defense capabilities, including the reintroduction of compulsory military service following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong