Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs announced that Ukrainian drone experts will arrive in Latvia next week to help address the threat of repeated drone incursions into Latvian airspace. Since the beginning of 2026, multiple Ukrainian drones have breached Latvian airspace, likely due to GPS jamming by Russia to protect its oil infrastructure against Ukrainian attacks. On June 8, 2026, a French jet shot down a drone in Latvian airspace during the Baltic Air Policing mission. Kulbergs signed a 'drone deal' with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Nordic Baltic 8 prime ministers summit in Tallinn on June 9, 2026. The Ukrainian experts, with frontline combat experience, will assess Latvia's drone defense capabilities and recommend necessary technical equipment. Kulbergs also cited Zelenskyy's claims that 35,000 Russian soldiers were killed or injured in the last month and that 93% of casualties were caused by drones. He emphasized the need for NATO and Latvia to rapidly adopt Ukrainian drone defense expertise, as conventional NATO approaches are ineffective. Kulbergs also highlighted economic challenges facing Latvia and other countries bordering Russia and Belarus, warning that a weak economy leads to weak defense, and called for stronger sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet used for oil transportation in the Baltic Sea. On transport infrastructure, Kulbergs discussed the Rail Baltica project delays and the need for 'out of the box' solutions due to a €3.7 billion budget shortfall for Latvia's section. He suggested scaling down the project as a practical response and urged Baltic countries to collaborate rather than blame each other for delays. The article was published on June 10, 2026, at 08:27 CEST.

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs announced that Ukrainian drone experts will arrive in Latvia next week to help address the threat of repeated drone incursions into Latvian airspace. Since the beginning of 2026, multiple Ukrainian drones have breached Latvian airspace, likely due to GPS jamming by Russia to protect its oil infrastructure against Ukrainian attacks. On June 8, 2026, a French jet shot down a drone in Latvian airspace during the Baltic Air Policing mission. Kulbergs signed a 'drone deal' with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Nordic Baltic 8 prime ministers summit in Tallinn on June 9, 2026. The Ukrainian experts, with frontline combat experience, will assess Latvia's drone defense capabilities and recommend necessary technical equipment. Kulbergs also cited Zelenskyy's claims that 35,000 Russian soldiers were killed or injured in the last month and that 93% of casualties were caused by drones. He emphasized the need for NATO and Latvia to rapidly adopt Ukrainian drone defense expertise, as conventional NATO approaches are ineffective. Kulbergs also highlighted economic challenges facing Latvia and other countries bordering Russia and Belarus, warning that a weak economy leads to weak defense, and called for stronger sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet used for oil transportation in the Baltic Sea. On transport infrastructure, Kulbergs discussed the Rail Baltica project delays and the need for 'out of the box' solutions due to a €3.7 billion budget shortfall for Latvia's section. He suggested scaling down the project as a practical response and urged Baltic countries to collaborate rather than blame each other for delays. The article was published on June 10, 2026, at 08:27 CEST.