Daily Finland
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina on Sunday dismissed Defense Minister Andris Spruds after the Baltic country's defense sector faced strong criticism over its handling of recent drone incidents, reported Xinhua. Silina said Spruds had lost her confidence following the drone incidents in Latgale, the eastern Latvian region bordering Russia and Belarus. The prime minister announced the replacement on X shortly before Spruds was expected to announce his resignation at a news conference on Sunday evening. Silina wrote on X that the defense sector should henceforth be led by a professional and offered the post of defense minister to Colonel Raivis Melnis, who accepted the position. Melnis has served in Latvia's National Armed Forces since 1998 and is currently performing the duties of the Ministry of Defence's representative in Ukraine. Following this week's drone incidents in Latgale, opposition parties Latvia First, National Alliance, and United List submitted a motion of no confidence against Spruds, demanding his resignation. According to reports, several drones entered Latvian airspace from Russia in the early hours of Thursday. Two of them crashed into an oil storage facility in Rezekne, damaging one empty oil tank. The defense sector later faced criticism for its slow response to the incident and for delaying a mobile alert to local residents.
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