The commander of the Latvian army wants to shoot down Russian drones at the border, but has not yet been given permission
The country’s Commander-in-Chief, Kaspars Pudans, made these remarks in an interview with LIGA.net.
When asked whether Latvia’s adaptation to Russian threats meant that the country was already prepared to shoot down ‘Shaheds’ entering its airspace, the general replied: ‘I wouldn’t say we are fully prepared’.
He emphasised that Latvia is not currently mobilised and is not at war.
“Of course, we want to shoot down drones while they are still at the border, which means destroying them whilst they are still on Russian territory. But I do not yet have permission to shoot them down there or to strike their launchers. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the success that society expects,” noted Poudans.
At the same time, according to the general, Latvia is working on its defence strategy and tactics. In the event of war, the country is preparing a multi-layered air defence system using electronic warfare, interceptor drones and inexpensive Ukrainian-made missiles.
“We need more than just devices or weapons. We need help in developing the most suitable concept for integrating these assets. A single device on its own will not be fully effective,” the commander added.
He explained that autonomous combat systems should not be a separate force, but an additional tool within a unified armed forces mechanism.
As a reminder, it was previously reported that Russia could attack NATO “in the coming months”.
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