Ukrainian drone experts to help strengthen NATO countries' defense
Illustrative photo: Ukrainian drone experts will help Latvia protect its skies (facebook.com/techforce.in.ua)
Assistance in protecting the skies from drones
According to the Latvian prime minister, military experts from Ukraine with real combat experience will assess the situation in Latvia. This will help determine what technical equipment is needed to provide the most effective protection of the country's airspace.
Kulbergs said that counter-drone systems from Ukraine could be delivered to Latvia by the end of this year. He added that traditional countermeasures used by NATO are currently ineffective against modern threats.
On Tuesday, on the sidelines of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) Summit in Tallinn, Latvia and Ukraine signed an agreement on drone cooperation. Riga's concerns stem from repeated incidents in which Russian drones entered Latvian territory.
"We will know what technical equipment is necessary to protect our skies to the best level. We need to turn to those who know better than anyone in the world how to do this," the prime minister stressed, referring to Ukraine's experience.
Economic priorities and environmental threat
In addition to defense issues, Latvia's new prime minister identified economic recovery as the government's top priority, noting that the country's economy has been significantly affected by its proximity to Russia and Belarus. Kulbergs stressed that a weak economy automatically means weaker defense capabilities, and said Riga plans to seek additional support measures from Brussels.
The Latvian leader also called for tougher sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet operating in the Baltic Sea. He described the aging vessels Moscow uses to circumvent restrictions and finance the war as a "ticking time bomb."
To counter this threat, countries in the region plan to introduce a joint policy and expand data-sharing efforts, drawing in part on France's experience.
Scaling back the Rail Baltica project
Commenting on Latvia's significant delays in the construction of the Rail Baltica railway and a budget shortfall of €3.7 billion, Kulbergs said the project's scope would need to be drastically reduced.
"Well, we can't afford a Bentley, we need to scale back to an Opel. So that's as simple as it is," he explained.
The prime minister urged partners in Lithuania and Estonia to stop competing within the project and promised to present a viable political solution within two weeks.
Drone incidents in Latvia
The security situation in Latvia's airspace deteriorated significantly in May 2026. Amid a series of drone-related incidents, the country was plunged into a political crisis, with Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds resigning from his post.
The resignation came after Ukrainian drones flying from the direction of Russia struck oil storage facilities in Latvia, prompting Prime Minister Evika Siliņa to accuse the defense establishment of being too slow in deploying counter-drone systems.
The incidents continued, and two weeks later, Latvia declared air raid alerts for a third consecutive day in border regions due to new aerial threats. At the time, the country's military command was forced to urgently deploy additional air defense units to the eastern border.
The threat later escalated into a direct military interception. In early June, French NATO fighter jets shot down a drone over Latvia for the first time. Air threat warnings were issued across several regions, and the drone reportedly entered Latvian airspace after large-scale Russian electronic warfare (EW) operations disrupted its course.
