NATO countries in the Baltic had a difficult night after at least four drones entered their airspace during another round of Ukrainian strikes on Russia. Citizens of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia received brief alerts to stay indoors, and their military services were on high alert throughout the night. There were no reports of injuries. The alerts covered large swaths of territory, including Lithuania’s second city, Kaunas. In Finland, the state set up temporary airspace and maritime controls in the eastern Gulf of Finland as a precautionary measure.
The incidents and the alerts happened during a set of drone strikes in Russia’s northwestern region, where there are major export facilities and a big oil refinery. The attacks set fire to the Ust-Luga port and allegedly injured three. Debris from drones killed two in the area bordering Belarus. Russian air strikes meanwhile took power off the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, while people got injured in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia.
The drones entering the Baltic countries have not been identified or struck down. Lithuania made two attempts but missed before the drones entered Latvian airspace. It is unclear who is responsible. Russia has been accusing Ukraine of using airspace from NATO countries to bypass its defence and cover its attacks. According to Ukraine, Russia often jams the signal of its drones, sending them off course inside neighbouring countries.
