Latvia’s Defense Minister Steps Down After Ukrainian Drones Hit Oil Tanks

Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds resigned after two Ukrainian drones, reportedly diverted by Russian electronic warfare, struck oil facilities in eastern Latvia. The incident exposed weaknesses in the country’s air defenses and triggered political backlash, with Prime Minister Evika Siliņa criticizing the slow deployment of countermeasures. The episode has intensified calls for stronger NATO air defense support across the Baltic region. Make us preferred on Google Flip Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Latvian Minister of Defense Andris Spruds speaks prior to meetings between the US, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, July 25, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds resigned on Sunday, after two Ukrainian drones on Thursday flew in from Russia and hit oil storage facilities. On May 7, according to a preliminary investigation by Latvia’s State Police, two  drones  struck an empty oil storage facility in Rēzekne in the east of the country after crossing the Russian border.  Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . The incident was the latest in a series of airspace incursions by Ukrainian drones in the Baltic states and Finland as Kyiv continues to attack Russia’s oil exporting facilities on the Baltic coast.   Earlier on Sunday, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa demanded Sprūds resignation, saying anti-drone systems had not been deployed fast enough.   In a public statement, Sprūds said that he had stepped down from the role to “protect Latvia’s army from divisive political campaigning,” Latvia’s public broadcaster LSM reported.  He said that a lot of work had taken place to improve the country’s defenses, including in air defense.  Latvia's Prime Minister Evika Silina arrives for a European Council meeting to discuss recent developments in transatlantic relations, in Brussels, on January 22, 2026. EU leaders meet on January 22, 2026, for an emergency summit on threats by US President to impose tariffs on countries opposed to his push to take Greenland, with crisis talks in Brussels coming to weigh potential countermeasures against the United States. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP) Other Topics of Interest Kremlin Demands Ukraine’s Withdrawal from Donbas as Condition for Peace Progress Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Vladimir Putin, asserted on May 10 that any settlement regarding the war in Ukraine will “stand still” unless Kyiv withdraws its military from the Donbas. Despite this rigid ultimatum, Ushakov expressed confidence that the US has not abandoned the diplomatic track, predicting that Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will soon return to Moscow for further talks. The politician claimed that calls for his resignation were part of a “systematic campaign” against his Progressives political party because it refused to toe the line and questioned long-established norms, LSM wrote.   Sprūds also said his party would meet soon to consider its future in the three-party ruling coalition.   Siliņa has appointed Latvian army colonel Raivis Melnis as the new defense minister. LSM said he has been acting as an adviser to the prime minister since February.   Baltics ask NATO for help  Latvia and Lithuania on Thursday called on NATO to boost air defenses in their region after the drones came over the Russian border and exploded at an oil storage facility in Latvia.  Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha on Sunday said on X that the drones were Ukrainian, and flew into Latvia as a result of “Russian electronic warfare deliberately diverting Ukrainian drones from their targets in Russia.”  I just had another exchange with @Braze_Baiba about the recent drone incidents in Latvia. The investigations proved that this was the result of Russian electronic warfare deliberately diverting Ukrainian drones from their targets in Russia. I reaffirmed Ukraine’s willingness… In response to the drone incidents, Ukraine is considering sending experts to help strengthen air security over the Baltic states, Sybiha said on Friday.