According to LETA, around 8 (7 in Poland), the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) was alerted by residents that a drone fell into Lake Dridrza in the Kraslava district (Kraslava), in the historical region of Latgale. The district borders with Belarus, and the lake is located approximately 60 km from the border with Russia.
Remains of an unmanned aerial vehicle were found at the site.
The search area is extensive, so additional forces were dispatched to the site, including a police unit equipped with its own drone, as well as fire brigade and soldiers.
Residents were asked to avoid the scene of the incident, follow the recommendations of the services and immediately report any debris found that may have come from a drone.
Drones over Latvia. Another incident
No one was injured, but the incident led to the resignation of Defense Minister Andris Spruds and the resignation of Prime Minister Evika Silina, LETA emphasized.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia is deliberately redirecting Ukrainian drones sent to attack targets in Russia over the Baltic countries. Moscow claims that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia allow Ukraine to use their airspace to attack Russia. Both Ukraine and the Baltic countries rejected these accusations.
The interception of drones is made possible by a security loophole that has existed since the invention of GPS and is exploited by Russia, explained the British daily The Telegraph.
Drones are diverted using a dual tactic known as jamming and spoofing. First, Russia blinds the drone's GPS receiver with a wave of high-powered noise, cutting it off from the actual satellite signals, causing the receiver to go into search mode. A false signal is then transmitted, making the drone believe that it is much deeper over Russian territory than it actually is, and directing it westward, towards the airspace of NATO countries.
At the center of the jamming and spoofing network is a powerful transmitter in the Koenigsberg Oblast, a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania. It has been operating continuously for years, disrupting the GPS signal over the Baltic Sea – emphasized “The Telegraph”.
