In Latvia, NATO fighter jets have been taken off the air by a flock of birds flying from Belarus, Latvian media reported this today, September 17, citing the country’s Ministry of Defense.
The Latvian Air Force reportedly detected an unidentified flying object near the state border, which approached the Latvian-Belarus border and crossed it into the Kraslava region. NATO fighter jets were sent on a patrol mission from a military base in Liepaja to inspect the area. It later emerged that aerial surveillance devices perceived a flock of birds as a flying object.
Let us recall that on September 7, Latvian authorities announced the downing of a drone in the Gaigalava volost of the Rezekne region. The republic’s air defence forces monitored the situation, but did not decide to shoot it down or send NATO fighters on duty. After the incident, the Latvian Ministry of Defence began consultations with the alliance’s allies.
