Ukrainian drones crashing in Latvia trigger a government crisis as the nation’s defense minister resigns

On Sunday, May 10, Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced his resignation — three days after Ukrainian drones that had crossed into Latvian airspace from Russia crashed near the Latvian city of Rezekne. The drones damaged empty fuel storage tanks at an oil depot. No one was injured, but the political damage has proved more serious. The incident occurred five months before scheduled parliamentary elections and almost immediately shifted from a military security question to a question of public trust in the government. Why did this drone incident lead to a minister’s resignation? And what other consequences could follow? Sergey Potapkin, a political scientist and researcher at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, analyzes the situation.

Original source: Meduza