RIGA, May 8 (LETA) - The Latvian defense sector is not prepared to land or shoot down foreign drones, Juris Maklakovs, a former commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces (NAF) and Air Force, and former ambassador to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, told LETA.

Maklakovs said that the war in Ukraine is now in its fifth year, and the role and threat of military drones have been discussed for several years. The defense sector, meanwhile, has publicly tried to position Latvia as a drone superpower.

In light of these circumstances, Maklakovs concludes that the necessary results for drone defense have not been achieved.

"Publicly provided information shows that three drones flew into Latvia on Thursday. But what will happen, and how will we respond if ten drones arrive? Let alone several dozen or a hundred drones," Maklakovs noted rhetorically.

The expert also believes that there is a lack of a regulatory framework to respond more proactively to such incidents, including by deploying mobile units to counteract such drone incursions.

The expert also believes that these units could be formed with the involvement of the National Guard and the State Border Guard. At the same time, the establishment of such groups would require training and provision of counter-drone assets.

Maklakovs concluded his comments by stressing that there is no end in sight to the war in Ukraine and that the use of drones by both sides of the conflict continues to increase. In view of this fact, it is to be expected that the number of drone incidents in Latvia may increase.

As reported, in the early hours of Thursday, several drones flew into Latvian airspace from Russia, at least one of which crashed in Rezekne, damaging an oil storage facility. It is believed that another drone may have fallen in a more remote location, while another drone left Latvian airspace.

People in the vicinity of Ludza, Balvi, and Rezekne received cell broadcast alerts on their mobile phones warning them of a threat in airspace.

NAF notes that as long as Russian aggression in Ukraine is ongoing, there is a possibility of recurrence of cases of foreign drones entering or approaching Latvian airspace.