Resignations in Latvia. Ukrainian drones in the background

Lack of a Swift Response

Last week, on May 7, two Ukrainian drones crashed in Latvia. One of the unmanned aircraft crashed at an oil storage facility in Rēzekne and damaged the oil tanks located there. Latvian air defences failed to detect the drones in the airspace and were unable to respond quickly enough. After the incident, Defence Minister Andris Sprūds said the drones were most likely launched by Ukraine and that their intended targets were facilities located on Russian territory.

Shortly after the incident, the defence minister resigned. The decision was reportedly demanded by the prime minister herself, who said that Sprūds had lost both her confidence and that of the public. “This week’s drone incident clearly showed that the political leadership of the defence sector failed to keep its promise of ensuring safe airspace over our country,” the prime minister wrote on X.

Government Collapse?

On Wednesday, May 13, the social democratic party The Progressives announced that it was ending its cooperation in Latvia’s government. As a result, the current coalition lost its majority in the Latvian Saeima. The decision came after Minister Sprūds’ resignation. Before the government reshuffle, parliamentary elections had been planned for the fall of this year.

On May 14, Latvian public broadcaster LSM and the BNS news agency reported the resignation of Latvia’s incumbent prime minister, Evika Siliņa. In practical terms, this means the fall of the government and carries the risk that early elections may need to be called. This is the first case in Europe of resignations of this kind caused by the protracted war in Ukraine. Until now, countries in the region had supported Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory despite repeated drone incidents. While a massive decline in support for the Ukrainian cause in Europe should not yet be expected, incidents of this kind may lead to weakening support in the region.