Latvian Prime Minister Evica Silina resigned after a political crisis sparked by a Ukrainian drone bound for Russia that accidentally entered Latvian territory.
She fired Defense Minister Andris Sprouz after two drones crashed in eastern Latvia last week, criticizing his response and appointing his replacement.
In protest, Spruez’s Progress Party withdrew its support for Silina’s governing coalition, causing it to collapse months before a general election planned for October.
“Seeing a strong candidate for defense minister… political talkers have chosen a crisis,” Silina said Thursday. “I’m resigning, but I’m not giving up.”
On May 7, three drones invaded Latvian airspace, triggering political fallout and marking the second such incident since the beginning of 2026.
Both Latvia and Ukraine acknowledged that the drones were likely Ukrainian drones targeting Russia, but that Russian signals were jammed, causing them to stray into Latvia.
One drone crashed to the ground and another hit an empty petroleum products storage facility near the town of Rezekne. A third aircraft entered and exited Latvian airspace.
There were no casualties, but local residents told the media that the official response to the incident was both delayed and inadequate. They said the community broadcast warning system had not been activated an hour after one of the drones crashed near Rezekne.
Silina said after the incident: “Something has gone wrong. We cannot afford for this to continue.”
She said she also asked Spruzy to resign due to the overall situation in Latvia’s defense sector.
Silina noted that the Baltic states spend 5% of their GDP on defence, which she said meant “a higher level of responsibility towards society… which requires clear results”.
President Edgars Linkevich said he would make a decision on May 15 on forming a new government “as quickly as possible”.
Evika Silina was appointed Prime Minister of Latvia in September 2023, leading a four-party coalition government.
Her administration has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Latvia joins two other Baltic states, Lithuania and Estonia, in becoming increasingly nervous about potential Russian aggression.
A year after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it significantly improved its defense capabilities and officially reintroduced compulsory military service.