conflictMonday, June 8, 20263 sources

French NATO Jet Shoots Down Drone Over Latvia as Another Explodes in Moldova

On June 8, 2026, a French NATO jet shot down a drone that had entered Latvia's airspace, attributed to Russian electronic warfare. Separately, fragments of another drone were found in Moldova after it entered from Ukraine. The incidents have raised concerns about the spillover of the Ukraine war into NATO's borders.

A drone entered Latvian airspace on June 8, 2026, due to 'Russian electronic warfare,' according to military sources. A French military fighter jet shot it down over eastern Latvia. The incident marks the first time a NATO jet has shot down a drone in the region. Meanwhile, fragments of another drone were discovered in a field in Moldova after it entered from Ukraine earlier the same day. The drone's origin and exact path remain unclear, but Moldovan authorities confirmed the discovery. The events have intensified fears that the conflict in Ukraine is extending beyond Russia's borders and into NATO's sphere of influence.

Timelines

Sources

IndependentAl JazeeraJun 8, 10:54 PM
NATO jets shoot down drone over Latvia, extending Ukraine spillover fears

The drone entered Latvian airspace due to 'Russian electronic warfare', the military says.

PublicFrance 24Jun 8, 06:05 PM
French NATO jet shoots down drone over Latvia as another explodes in Moldova

A drone that entered NATO member Latvia's airspace from Russia on Monday was shot down by a French military fighter jet, as fragments of another drone were found in a field in Moldova after it entered from Ukraine earlier the same day. Military drones straying into the airspace of ​Russia's neighbours have stoked concerns that the war in Ukraine is spilling over NATO's borders.

PublicDeutsche WelleJun 8, 02:23 PM
Latvia: NATO jet shoots down stray drone

For the first time, a NATO jet shot down a drone over eastern Latvia. According to the military, the drone entered Latvian airspace due to "Russian electromagnetic warfare."