CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on Tuesday aboard a US military C-17 Globemaster transport plane from Riga, Latvia, for a series of meetings with Russian officials. The unusual visit comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts over Ukraine, with the Kremlin initially stating it had no information about the aircraft's mission.
NATO fighter aircraft, including Italian Eurofighters, shot down an unmanned drone over eastern Latvia near the Russian border on Friday. Latvian authorities attributed the incident to Russian electromagnetic warfare that caused the aircraft to enter their airspace.
Latvia announced the discovery of a tunnel under its border with Belarus on Tuesday and vowed to combat people smuggling networks that authorities say are facilitating a growing number of illegal border crossings.
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland are tightening security around critical infrastructure including dams, power plants, and gas facilities, fearing Russia may stage a false-flag attack using Ukrainian drones to destabilize NATO. The concern intensified after a drone with explosives breached defenses at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, a key NATO hub, on August 4.
Latvian soldiers used tear gas and fired one warning shot into the air after five or more migrants attempting to enter from Belarus acted aggressively and threw logs toward troops, according to the Latvian army. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said attempted crossings had recently doubled, without providing exact figures, and described the situation as a hybrid threat.
A French Rafale fighter jet operating under NATO command shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Monday. Latvian military officials attributed the incursion to Russian electronic warfare, marking the latest security incident along NATO's eastern border amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Russia accused Latvia and other Baltic states of planning to host Ukrainian drone launches and warned of military retaliation, prompting Latvia to dismiss the claims as 'pure fiction.' The tensions coincided with Lithuania shutting down Vilnius airspace due to suspected drone incursions, with EU leaders vowing a response.
