Latvia’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s acting envoy on April 21, 2026, to deliver a formal protest over Moscow’s false claims that Riga authorized drone strikes into Russian territory.
The summoning came a day after Russian officials dismantled a memorial in Tomsk honoring Latvians and other Baltic nationals deported during Stalin-era repressions, an act Latvia condemned as erasing historical memory of Soviet crimes.
Latvia maintains it has never granted permission for its airspace to be used by drones for attacks on Russia, a position consistently communicated to Russian envoys in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius since late March.
On April 10, the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania issued a joint statement denouncing Russia’s disinformation campaign alleging Baltic complicity in cross-border drone operations.
Despite Latvia’s clear official rebuttals, Russian officials continue to spread the claim, with State Duma defense committee member Andrejs Kolesņiks warning on Russian media that Baltic infrastructure remains a potential target for drone strikes.
Kolesņiks asserted that interceptions would occur, stating, “Where exactly the drones will fall, depends on how we react to them. But there will be a response,” and added that Baltic leaders are mistaken if they believe their actions will go unanswered.
He emphasized that unmanned aircraft already fly in large numbers over Baltic airspace, making interception necessary, and dismissed concerns about where debris might land as not Latvia’s responsibility.
The Tomsk memorial, which included the “Stone of Sorrow” monument and individual markers for Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Poles, and Kalmyks repressed under Soviet rule, was removed overnight on April 19.
Originally erected in 1992 at a former NKVD camp site, the memorial had become a focal point for annual commemorations of the 1949 mass deportations from the Baltics to Siberia.
Latvia’s Foreign Ministry said the demolition revives Soviet-era totalitarian practices, including illegal occupation of neighboring states, inhumane repression, and mass human rights violations against residents of those territories.
The ministry demanded Russia provide an explanation for the dismantling of the memorial site.
Why did Latvia summon Russia’s acting envoy?
Latvia summoned the envoy to protest false claims by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Latvia had authorized drone strikes into Russian territory.
What specific action in Tomsk prompted Latvia’s condemnation?
Latvia condemned the dismantling of a memorial in Tomsk honoring Latvians and other Baltic nationals deported during Stalin-era repressions, carried out by local authorities on April 19, 2026.