Latvia PM resigns over straying Ukraine drones

RIGA, May 14: Latvia's Prime Minister EvikaSilina resigned Thursday after a key party in her coalition withdrew support in a row over Ukrainian drones that strayed into the Baltic nation.

The drones were on an attack mission across the border in Russia, and Ukraine said they crashed into Latvian territory on May 7 after being electronically diverted by the Russian military.

One caused a fire at a disused oil storage site in eastern Latvia.

Silina on Sunday sacked her defence minister AndrisSpruds over the affair. She said Latvia's anti-drone systems had not been deployed quickly enough to counter the drone intrusions.

Spruds's sacking prompted nine of his allies, fellow members of the left-wing Progressive party, to quit Silina's ruling coalition, alleging she had made him a scapegoat.

Spruds formally resigned on Monday and Salina proposed a military officer as his replacement but the Progressive party rejected him.    �"AFP