Latvian government collapses after Ukrainian drones trigger security crisis

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa resigned on Thursday after the collapse of her coalition government, following a political crisis triggered by the entry of Ukrainian drones into Latvian airspace and growing criticism over the country’s preparedness against aerial threats.

The resignation came after days of mounting tensions inside the governing coalition, sparked by a series of incidents in which Ukrainian drones crossed into Latvia from Russian territory and struck an oil storage facility near the eastern city of Rēzekne. The episode exposed weaknesses in Latvia’s air defence system and quickly escalated into a broader political confrontation just months before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October.

“I am resigning, but I am not giving up,” Siliņa said in a televised address announcing her departure. Her government will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until President Edgars Rinkēvičs appoints a candidate capable of forming a new cabinet.

The immediate trigger for the collapse was Siliņa’s dismissal of Defence Minister Andris Sprūds after the drones penetrated Latvian airspace undetected and exploded at an oil depot. Although the tanks hit in the incident were reportedly empty, the episode caused alarm in the Baltic state and raised fears over the vulnerability of NATO territory to spillover from the war in Ukraine.

Latvian military officials admitted the drones had not been intercepted while crossing the border from Russia. The government also faced criticism because air raid warnings were reportedly sent to residents only after the threat had already passed.

Sprūds rejected accusations that Latvia’s defence system was unprepared, insisting the country’s armed forces remained capable of protecting national territory. However, his dismissal provoked an immediate backlash from the liberal-progressive The Progressives party, which withdrew from the coalition and deprived Siliņa of a parliamentary majority.

The crisis quickly evolved into a broader struggle over political positioning ahead of the October vote.

While the drone incidents became the public catalyst, analysts in Riga increasingly viewed the collapse as the result of long-standing tensions within an ideologically fragile coalition bringing together conservatives, centrists and liberals. Siliņa’s centre-right New Unity party had seen its ratings decline sharply in recent months, while the Progressives gained support in opinion polls.

The dispute intensified after Siliņa proposed Colonel Raivis Melnis as a replacement defence minister without consulting coalition partners. Melnis, a military officer with extensive experience in Ukraine, had served as a representative of Latvia’s defence ministry in Kyiv and worked closely with Ukrainian forces during the war.

The nomination immediately became controversial. Critics pointed out that NATO countries traditionally maintain civilian control over defence ministries, while coalition partners accused Siliņa of bypassing agreed political procedures in order to reshape the government on her own terms.

Still, Melnis’s Ukrainian experience also highlighted a broader shift now taking place across the Baltic region: growing reliance on lessons learned directly from the battlefield in Ukraine.

The political fallout in Latvia came as Kyiv moved quickly to contain any diplomatic damage caused by the drone incidents.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that the drones belonged to Ukraine and offered assistance to Latvia in strengthening its air defence capabilities. Ukrainian officials argued that Russian electronic warfare systems had diverted the drones off course and accused Moscow of attempting to manipulate public opinion inside NATO member states by redirecting Ukrainian UAVs toward neighbouring countries.

Zelenskyy later announced that Ukraine would send military specialists to Latvia to help improve anti-drone defences and share operational experience gathered during the war.

“Russia remains the root cause of all these threats,” Zelenskyy said after meeting President Rinkēvičs during the B9 summit in Romania. Riga and Kyiv are also expected to negotiate a broader long-term defence cooperation agreement focused on air defence and drone warfare.

Although the drone incidents triggered the immediate political crisis, several Latvian political actors indicated that the deeper tensions inside the coalition had existed for months ahead of the October elections.

At the same time, Latvian parties across the political spectrum largely continue to support cooperation with Ukraine and stronger regional security coordination within NATO, EUalive’s partner European Pravda writes.

The crisis nevertheless highlighted growing concerns among Baltic states about air defence vulnerabilities and the spillover risks created by the war in Ukraine.

Stray Ukrainian drones test Baltic solidarity as attacks near Russia intensify

With Reuters, European Pravda

Caption: Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Silina on the day of a summit of the European Union and regional partners’ leaders in Nicosia (Lefkosia), Cyprus, 24 April 2026. EU leaders are expected to address the current geopolitical developments and Europe’s response to it. EPA/YVES HERMAN / POOL