Latvia’s prime minister steps down after border drone crisis

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Riga: Evika Siliňa, the prime minister of Latvia, submitted her resignation on Thursday following the collapse of her coalition government due to the issue surrounding stray Ukrainian drones that had infiltrated Latvian territory close to the Russian border.

In a televised speech, Siliʻa announced her resignation and stated that she would serve as a caretaker until a new government was formed. Following the resignation of Defence Minister Andris Sprūds due to criticism of Latvia's response to the drone accidents, a political crisis set forth.
On May 7, two suspected Ukrainian drones that were suspected to be aiming targets within Russia entered Latvia from Russian airspace, sparking the dispute. At an oil storage facility close to the eastern city of Rēzekne, one drone exploded, causing damage to fuel tanks but no people were hurt. According to Latvian authorities, the incident revealed flaws in the nation's air defence systems.

Just months before the October national elections, the left-leaning Progressives party left the governing coalition when Sprūds was fired, leaving Siliʻa without a parliamentary majority. Due to the conflict in Ukraine, Latvia, a NATO member that borders Belarus and Russia, is experiencing rising security concerns. The Baltic countries' demands for more robust NATO air defence systems in the area were also triggered by the drone attacks.