RIGA, May 8 (LETA) - Defense Minister Andris Spruds (Progressives) will be on leave from today until Sunday for the funeral of a relative.

The minister confirmed to LETA that a moment has come when, along with his work duties, it is especially important to be with his family. Spruds will take a short leave to attend the funeral of his children's grandfather in Poland.

Regardless of his absence from Latvia, Spruds will continue to carry out his core duties and stay in contact with his colleagues in the Defense Ministry and the National Armed Forces (NAF).

According to information published in the official gazette Latvijas Vestnesis, Spruds has been granted leave from today until Sunday. Transport Minister Atis Svinka (Progressives) has been appointed Acting Defense Minister during Spruds' absence.

Questions about Spruds' job performance were raised after several unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, flew into Latvian airspace from Russia on Thursday, with one of them crashing into an oil storage facility in Rezekne.

Later, Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) criticized the defense sector for a delayed notification of the public about the drone incident.

Spruds himself admitted that whether the cell broadcast message was delayed is a valid question, stressing the necessity to assess what worked in the drone emergency and what did not.

Opposition politicians subsequently called for Spruds to resign.