Latvia to build joint drone plant with Ukraine near Russian border

Latvia will build a joint drone manufacturing facility with Ukraine near its border with Russia, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said on 29 June, Delfi reported.

The agreement providing for joint production was signed in early June, when Kulbergs met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Nordic-Baltic Eight summit in Tallinn — the first meeting between the two leaders. The deal, referred to as the Drone Deal, covers cooperation in unmanned aerial systems and includes technology transfer.

Kulbergs said the government would do everything necessary to site the facility near Latvia’s border with Russia, adding that the Latgale region needs economic activity, investment, and jobs.

Counter-drone systems also planned for the eastern border

Beyond production, Kulbergs said new counter-drone solutions are set to become operational along Latvia’s borders with both Belarus and Russia in July and August. These systems, he said, would remove the need to scramble aircraft in response to every aerial threat.

“In the event of a threat from drones, we won’t have to take aircraft into the air every time, which is a very expensive and effective solution, but not the best and most productive,” Kulbergs said.

Kulbergs has previously set a goal for Latvia to reach Ukraine’s level of drone-defense capability by the end of 2026.