(ANSA-AFP) - WARSAW, 23 MAG - A new drone incident in Latvia
-- in which the errant flying device exploded when it crashed
into a lake Saturday -- added to anxiety and political ructions
in the Baltic country that borders Russia. The drone came down
in Lake Dridza, 15 kilometres (eight miles) from Latvia's border
with Belarus, according to police, who recovered its remains
after being alerted by locals. Belarus is Russia's ally in
Moscow's war against Ukraine. Several Russian and Ukrainian
drones have crashed in Latvia over the course of the
Russia-Ukraine war, in which both sides have been using
drone-jamming technology to send the devices off-course.
Incidents have been multiplying in recent months. Outgoing Prime
Minister Evika Silina confirmed the latest crash on X, saying
that she was awaiting "the most detailed information possible"
on it. The drone menace has cost Silina her job. In early May,
she sacked her defence minister after saying Latvia's anti-drone
defences were not being deployed fast enough to track and bring
down intruding drones. Other members of the defence minister's
party then resigned, bringing down her ruling coalition.
Latvia's president a week ago tapped an opposition lawmaker,
Andris Kulbergs, to try to form a new government. (ANSA-AFP).
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