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Latvian Government Falls Amid Drone Incident Controversy
(MENAFN) Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina has announced her resignation following a political crisis sparked by an incident involving Ukrainian kamikaze drones striking an oil storage site close to the Russian border.
Silina confirmed her decision during a press conference on Thursday. Earlier the same day, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis, who belongs to Silina’s Unity party, had insisted that the prime minister was not planning to step down. At the same time, opposition lawmakers were reportedly preparing procedural measures aimed at bypassing the mandatory five-day waiting period required before a parliamentary no-confidence motion can proceed under Latvian law.
The political turmoil followed last week’s drone incident in which two long-range Ukrainian drones struck an unused oil depot near the town of Rezekne, located roughly 40 kilometers from the Russian border. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigned over the weekend after describing the strike as regrettable but understandable while continuing to support Ukrainian attacks against Russia. Spruds, a member of the Progressives party, stated that he did not want Latvia’s military institutions to become entangled in political disputes.
Earlier on Thursday, MP Andris Suvajevs, who heads the parliamentary faction of the Progressives party, warned that the ruling coalition would likely collapse if lawmakers voted on a no-confidence motion.
Silina had initially been expected to attend a parliamentary session but instead summoned journalists to her office, where she formally announced her resignation. She attributed the government crisis to “political jealousy and narrow party interests.”
Meanwhile, Russia has accused NATO countries of effectively allowing Ukraine to use their airspace for operations targeting northwestern Russian territory, particularly oil export facilities in the Leningrad region. Reports also indicated that officials in several countries affected by Ukrainian drone-related incidents since mid-March have raised concerns regarding Kiev’s military coordination and planning.
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