Latvia extends indefinitely night-time closure of airspace on its eastern border

Latvia indefinitely extended on Tuesday the nighttime closure of its airspace along the eastern border of the NATO and European Union (EU) member country, i.e. with Russia and Belarus, according to a statement from the Latvian Ministry of Defense.

The closure of Latvian airspace between 8:00 PM local time and 7:00 AM below 6,000 meters and within a 50-kilometer strip from the border was scheduled to end on Wednesday, October 8.

The 6,000-meter limit allows the occasional passage of commercial flights that still use the airspace of Russia or Belarus for international routes.

“Taking into account the airspace violation incidents in other NATO countries, as well as the fact that airspace restrictions provide the Armed Forces with the opportunity to conduct more detailed surveillance of the airspace (…),” the Defense Ministry explained that the partial closure has been extended during the dark hours of the day.

This measure will also allow Riga to carry out simulations with drones and anti-drones, and to deploy and train mobile combat units, added the department headed by Andris Sprūds.

In Latvia, just over a year ago, an armed Russian drone fell near a village in the east of the country, about 60 kilometers from the Russian border.

The drone was disabled and its warhead detonated by the Army.

Any changes in airspace closure will be made in relation to the planning of NATO’s ‘Eastern Sentinel’ air surveillance mission, as well as in coordination with the other Baltic countries, the Ministry of Defense indicated.

Latvia’s neighbors -Estonia and Lithuania- have imposed similar restrictions in their airspace along their borders.

Both Latvia and Lithuania have suffered drone incursions launched from Russia that have crossed into their territory.

In recent weeks, Lithuania recorded a decoy drone that crashed just across its border with Belarus and another drone that fell on a military base within the country.