Baghdad:NATO aircraft shot down a drone in the skies over eastern Latvia, the Latvian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday. The military had previously released a statement confirming the incident.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the ministry revealed on its social media platform, X, that “NATO fighter jets successfully shot down a foreign drone that entered Latvia.” NATO further detailed that the operation was conducted by an Italian warplane under its command, though the origin of the drone remains unspecified.

This incident follows a pattern of similar occurrences. Last June, French Rafale fighter jets, also part of NATO and stationed in the Baltic states, intercepted a drone in Latvia. The Baltic countries, which share a border with Russia, have been witnessing an increasing number of drones breaching their airspace and subsequently crashing within their territories.