Latvia to deploy mobile drone-interceptor units to Russian border

RIGA, Latvia — Latvia will deploy mobile drone-interceptor units to its eastern border within days, following a series of drone incursions originating from the direction of Russia, according to the head of the Baltic country's Autonomous Systems Competence Center.

Deployment Details

Maj. Modris Kairišs, head of the center, announced in a briefing on May 26 that the Latvian armed forces will deploy teams of up to four soldiers in 4x4 vehicles, equipped with interceptor drones from Latvian manufacturers Origin Robotics and Eraser, to the eastern border with Russia. The goal is to have the units operational by early next month.

"The force teams we plan to deploy to the border in the coming days will be equipped with local interceptor drones," Kairišs said, adding that the number of teams to be deployed is confidential.

Background and Security Context

Low-altitude drone defense has become one of the most critical security gaps for Latvia and neighboring Lithuania and Estonia, amid a growing number of drone incursions from the direction of Russia. Independent Russian media outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe counted at least 24 drone incidents in the three Baltic countries since early 2025.

Latvia's government collapsed this month following a renewed incursion of Ukrainian drones into the country's airspace. On May 7, two drones crashed in Latvian territory, including one that struck an empty fuel depot, and a third drone entered the country's airspace before departing.

Kairišs said Russia is using "very powerful" jamming to disrupt the navigation of Ukrainian drones.

Capability and Limitations

"At least if we will send these initial teams, it will solve the society requirements, politicians' requirements, and we are moving forward," Kairišs told Defense News. "Let's say it is initial capability. We need a lot of teams to fully cover the border."

Ukraine has been using mobile fire teams to defeat Russian drone threats since 2022, though the country has increasingly shifted to interceptor drones.

Interceptor teams are not a long-term answer, according to Kairišs, who instead envisages a future solution of fully automatic interceptor drones stationed along the border in launch canisters, "where you can, from the command and control center, just give the command to intercept." He said Latvia is testing what he called "launch-box technologies."

"This is where Western countries need to move, because our human resource is very expensive," Kairišs said.

Border Coverage Challenges

With Latvia's eastern border with Russia and Belarus nearly 400 kilometers long, achieving Ukrainian-style levels of drone protection would require "a huge number" of personnel and put significant stress on the armed forces, Kairišs said in the briefing. He said Latvia needs to "find a balance between peacetime and war."

Ukrainian Expertise

The country is counting on assistance from Ukrainian experts for tactical advice and practical operator experience on intercepting drones, according to Kairišs. He said Latvia is seeking Ukrainian expertise rather than hardware—for example, on tactical procedures related to the kill chain and sensors.

NATO and Command-and-Control Challenges

One of the biggest challenges NATO faces in dealing with drone threats is what Kairišs called "a legacy way of thinking" around command and control, in which all sensor data is fused and information classified. Delivering that classified information to a mobile group operating near the border then stumbles over procedures that disrupt effective C2 at the tactical level, the Latvian major said.

Kairišs said countries need a cross-border solution for drone interception that allows for command and control at a "very low classification level." With multiple NATO countries working on their own C2 systems for drone defense, there will need to be an effort to let them work together, he said.

Maj. Modris Kairišs, head of Latvia's Autonomous Systems Competence Center, stands in front of the drone-testing range of the Sēlija training area on May 26, 2026. (Rudy Ruitenberg/staff)