RIGA, May 7 (LETA) - The opposition parties Latvia First, National Alliance and United List will demand the resignation of Defense Minister Andris Spruds (Progressives) after the drone incident in Rezekne.

MP Kristaps Kristopans (Latvia First) told journalists that Latvia has not learned enough from previous security incidents and the situation with repeated incidents raises concerns about the country's defense capabilities.

He pointed out that this was the third such incident and questioned whether the public felt safer now, despite the increase in defense funding.

The politician admitted that he was not convinced by the information provided to the parliament, stressing that there had been no significant changes after the previous incidents. In his opinion, insufficient lessons had been drawn from previous incidents.

Kristopans also stressed that the current situation had been developing for several years against the background of a broader military conflict, and that Latvia should therefore be sufficiently prepared to prevent such incidents from recurring.

He added that previous incidents have largely ended without serious consequences only due to favorable circumstances.

MP Edvard Smiltens (United List) also told reporters that the incident was grounds for calling for the minister's resignation.

Similarly, on the social networking site X, National Alliance's MP Janis Dombrava stated after a meeting of the National Security Committee that the conclusions of the drone incident are clear.

"At such a moment, the national defense sector cannot be led by a person who makes empty promises that are not fulfilled by deeds. The opposition will push for the resignation of Spruds," the politician stated.

As reported, several unmanned aerial vehicles flew into Latvian airspace from Russia in the early hours of Thursday, at least one of which crashed in Rezekne, damaging an oil storage facility. Two drones are currently known to have crashed, the second of which is still being searched for. This drone could be located in Rezekne municipality.

National Security Committee Chairman Ainars Latkovskis (New Unity) told journalists that after the incident near the eastern border, detailed information on the course of events was obtained from the responsible authorities, including the National Armed Forces, the State Police and the State Fire and Rescue Service.

Latkovskis stressed that Latvia has already started to purchase anti-tank systems and train personnel, but the full implementation of these capabilities will take time. Currently, the systems at the disposal of the National Armed Forces are mostly designed to combat low-flying objects, not drones specifically.

The politician also stressed that Latvia needs to develop electromagnetic warfare capabilities, but that the country is still at an early stage in this area. He admitted that the equipment at the disposal of the National Armed Forces is mostly not the latest, and modern systems have only recently started to enter Latvia.

At the same time, Latkovskis stressed that the National Armed Forces are doing their best with the available resources, but it is necessary to take faster decisions on strengthening defense.

He pointed out that shooting down drones is possible, but it is complicated by both technical and security considerations, including restrictions on operation over populated areas to avoid additional risks to the population.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing in cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities and several theories are being assessed.

Latkovskis also acknowledged that the communication with the public during the incident was not sufficiently prompt and these aspects will be further assessed.