Latvia closes airspace along borders with Russia and Belarus for a week

Khrystyna Bondarieva , Anastasia Protz - 11 September, 14:04

Stock photo: Getty Images

Latvian authorities have ordered a temporary closure of airspace along the borders with Russia and Belarus, set to last seven days.

Source: Latvian Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds on X (Twitter), cited by European Pravda

Details: According to Sprūds, the decision, open to extension, followed an assessment by Latvia’s armed forces.

Quote: "From 18:00 today [11 September], the airspace will be shut for at least a week, until 18 September. There is no immediate threat, but the army is on heightened alert during the Namejs national defence exercises."

Sprūds explained that shutting the airspace in the region would ensure complete control over the restricted zone and help identify any unauthorised aircraft.

Background:

Following the incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, Sprūds instructed the National Armed Forces to consider the closure of airspace along Latvia’s eastern border.
On 11 September, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency announced that air traffic along the border with Ukraine and Belarus would be restricted for three months for national security reasons.
On 11 September, Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania issued a joint statement on the Russian drone incursions.

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