Latvia: Prime Minister resigns after Ukrainian drone intrusion

The war between Ukraine and Russia continues to have repercussions in Latvia. After the resignation of the Minister of Defense, it was the Prime Minister, Evika Silina, who left her post this Thursday.

She found herself without the support of a pivotal party in her coalition after forcing the Minister of Defense to leave. The latter was held responsible for the Baltic state’s failure to prevent the recent intrusion of Ukrainian drones.

“I am announcing my resignation from the post of prime minister,” Evika Silina said at a press conference in Riga, the capital, as her government was under threat of a vote of no confidence in the Saeima, the unicameral parliament. “The most important thing for me is the well-being of Latvians and the security of our country. We are fully aware of the times we all live in. Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine has changed the security situation across Europe. »

Several incidents in the Baltic States

Evika Silina’s position had become untenable for 24 hours. Its center-right government coalition in power since 2023 lost its narrow majority in the Saeima, due to the defection of elected officials from the Progressives party. The resigning Minister of Defense, Andris Spruds, came from there. President Edgars Rinkevics seemed to seal the fate of the head of government by indicating on Wednesday that he had taken note of “the political situation in the country” and announced that he would receive all the parties represented in Parliament on Friday.

Several Russian or Ukrainian drones have crashed in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, former Soviet republics bordering Russia and/or Belarus, since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These are two Ukrainian drones which crossed the Russian border on May 7 to crash in Latvia, probably after their guidance system was jammed by Russian air defense.

Ukrainian experts to participate in air defense

One of them hit an oil storage site in Rezekne, in the east of the country. A fire broke out, quickly contained by firefighters. Another Ukrainian drone crashed in Latvia on March 25. These incidents caused no casualties or significant material damage. But they exposed the deficiencies of the country’s air defense, powerless to neutralize a drone wandering in its space before it falls on its territory.

Evika Silina immediately demanded the departure of her Minister of Defense. Andris Spruds, defended by his party which accused the head of government of having used him as a fuse, nevertheless returned his wallet on Monday. The Prime Minister proposed the appointment of a soldier to succeed her, a proposal rejected by the Progressives. This Thursday she castigated “a political posture”.

After a meeting on Wednesday with the Latvian president, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he would send experts to Latvia to help with air defense. They will exchange “experience and provide direct assistance in protecting airspace. A longer-term cooperation agreement between the two countries is in preparation.