Latvia announced it will close its airspace along the border with Russia and Belarus from September 11 to at least September 18, a move Defense Minister Andris Sprūds stated is a "wake-up call for NATO" following Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace. The airspace closure will begin this evening, September 11th. Sprūds emphasized there is no direct threat to Latvia but that preventive measures are necessary. This decision by Latvia comes after Poland restricted air traffic in its eastern regions on September 11th, also in response to Russian drone activity. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested a UN Security Council meeting to address the violation, which Deputy Prime Minister Radek Sikorski described as an "unprecedented attack of Russian drones on the state, a member not only of the UN, but also the European Union and NATO." Polish and Dutch military jets were scrambled in response to the incursion. The UN Security Council is expected to convene to discuss the matter. The exact timing and nature of the drone incursion into Polish airspace and the subsequent engagement by Polish forces were not immediately detailed, though previous reports indicated Polish forces downed Russian drones on September 10th. Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz was reportedly informed of the situation overnight.
