NATO jet shoots down drone in Latvian airspace
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- A French jet on a NATO mission shot down a drone in Latvian airspace, according to Reuters and the Washington Post.
- Multiple outlets connected the incident to drones straying into neighboring countries as Russia and Ukraine battle, framing it as evidence the Ukraine war is bleeding past its borders.
Why it matters: NATO's air-policing mission over the Baltic states has shifted from monitoring to actively intercepting aerial targets, with a French combat aircraft shooting down a drone in Latvian airspace. That operational change signals the alliance is now treating spillover from the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a direct military matter requiring engagement, not just observation.
