Latvia’s membership in NATO does not shield it from Russian retaliation, according to Moscow’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
The SVR reported on Tuesday that Ukraine has been granted permission by Latvia to use its territory for potential drone strikes against Russia. Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have targeted northwestern Russia, particularly energy infrastructure in the Leningrad Region, with some drones crashing in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland.
In a statement, the SVR said Ukraine “does not intend to limit itself to using the air corridors provided to the Ukrainians armed by the Baltic states.” The agency added that the plan is to launch drones from these countries to “significantly reduce the time it takes to reach the targets and increase the effectiveness of the terrorist attacks.”
Ukrainian drone operators have already been deployed to military bases in Latvia at Adazi, Selija, Lielvarde, Daugavpils, and Jekabpils, according to the SVR.